AT    LOS  ANGELES 


MUSIC 

LIBRARY 


APPLETON'S 

MUSICAL 

SERIES 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 


BY 


ALBERT    LAVIGNAC 

PROFESSOR    OF    HARMONY   AT   THE    PARIS   CONSERVATOIRE 


TRANSLATED    FROM    THE    FRENCH    BY 

ESTHER   SINGLETON 

TRANSLATOR    OF    LAVIGNAc's    "MUSIC    DRAMAS    OF   RICHARD    WAGNER " 

AND   AUTHOR  OF    "  A   GUIDE   TO   THE    OPERA,"    "SOCIAL 

NEW   YORK    UNDER   THE  GEORGES,"   ETC. 


D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 

NEW  YORK,   LONDON  MCMXXII 

MUSIC 

LIBRA*? 


COPYRIGHT,  1902 
BT  D.   APPLETON   AND   COMPANY 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


Made 

Library 

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CONTENTS 


u 

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PART  I 
GENERAL  REMARKS   UPON  MUSICAL  EDUCATION 


I. 

II. 

/III. 

V/IV. 

vv. 


r- 

co     T7._ 

CD        VI. 


in 

m  VII. 

LU 

iL. 

VIII. 


PAGE 

Mosic  A  LANGUAGE,  AN  ART  AND  A  SCIENCE      .         .       3 
AMATEUR  AND  ARTIST  ......       7 

NATURAL  APTITUDES,  HEREDITARY  TALENT  AND 

EARLY  INFLUENCES         ......       9 

INDICATIONS  OF  MUSICAL  TALENT  IN  YOUNG  CHILDREN  15 
PROPER  AGE  TO  BEGIN  THE  STUDY  OF  Music  AND 

How  TO  TEACH  Music  TO  YOUNG  CHILDREN  .  20 
SOLFEGGIO,  MUSICAL  DICTATION,  IMPORTANCE  OF 

HEARING  GOOD   Music    AND  PROPER   LENGTH  OF 

TIME  FOR  DAILY  STUDY 25 

INDICATIONS  OF  SPECIAL  APTITUDES  AND  OPINIONS  OF 

GREAT  MEN  ON  Music  .  .  .  .  .31 

IMPORTANCE  OF  CONDUCTING  STUDIES  METHODICALLY 

AND  LOGICALLY  ,     42 


c 
•S.     L 

Ik 

o 

Cft 

II. 


PART  II 
THE   STUDY  OF   INSTRUMENTS 

PROPER  AGE  TO  BEGIN  THE  STUDY  OF  AN  INSTRU- 
MENT, CHOICE  OF  A  TEACHER,  AND  HINTS  TO 
PARENTS  .  

TONE,  RHYTHM  AND  TIME 


49 
66 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


v/IH-     QUALIFICATIONS     OF     A     TKACIIKR     FOR     ADVANCED 

PUPILS,  READING  AND  ENSEMBLE-PLAYING   .         .     75 

IV.     THE  PIANO 85 

V.     THE  ORGAN 122 

VI.     THE    STRINGS  :    VIOLIN,    VIOLA,    VIOLONCELLO    AND 

DOUBLE-BASS          .......   132 

VII.     THE  HARP 14(5 

VIII.     THE    WOOD-WIND  :    FLUTE,    OBOE,    ENGLISH   HORN, 

CLARINET  AND  BASSOON         .....   151 
IX.     THE   BRASS  :    HORN,   TRUMPET,  CORNET   AND   TROM- 
BONE      .........   161 

X.     THE  GUITAR  AND  MANDOLIN 174 

XI.     DIFFICULTIES     OF     DIFFERENT      INSTRUMENTS     CON- 
SIDERED .   175 


THE  STUDY  OF  SINGING 

I.  THE  CHILD'S  VOICE,  CHANGE  OF  VOICE,  EARLY  IN- 
STRUCTION, EXAMINATION  OF  TUB  NATURAL  VOICE 
AND  CHOICE  OF  A  TEACHER  .....  183 
II.  THE  BEL  CANTO,  RELATION  OF  SINGING  TO  THE 
GENIUS  OF  A  LANGUAGE,  METHODS,  VOCALIZA- 
TION AND  PERIOD  OF  DAILY  STUDIES  .  .  .  202 

III.  READING,   IMPORTANCE  OF  MUSICAL  STUDIES,   STUDIES 

NECESSARY    FOR   THE    STAGE  AND   PHYSICAL  RE- 
QUIREMENTS FOR  AN  OPERA  SINGER       .         .         .  218 

IV.  HYGIENE  OF  THE  VOICE 231 

V.     THE  ACCOMPANIMENT  235 


[Vi] 


CONTENTS 
PART  IV 

THE  VARIOUS  STUDIES  NECESSARY  FOR  COMPOSERS 

PAGE 

I.     THE  CREATIVE  FACULTY  AND  HIGHER  MUSICAL  STUDIES  241 

II.  THE    SCIENCE    OF    Music :    STUDY  OF    HARMONY    AND 

COUNTERPOINT 254 

III.  ORCHESTRATION  AND  INSTRUMENTATION          .        .        .  273 

IV.  HABITS  OF  GREAT  COMPOSERS        .....  289 
V.     THE  PROGRESS  OF  ART  .  .  305 


PART    V 

OF  THE  MEANS  OF  RECTIFYING  A  MUSICAL  EDUCA- 
TION THAT  HAS  BEEN  ILL-DIRECTED  AT  THE 
BEGINNING  AND  HOW  TO  REMEDY  IT 

I.     SUGGESTIONS    FOR    INSTRUMENTALISTS,     SINGERS    AND 

COMPOSERS     ....  ...  315 

II.     SUGGESTIONS  FOR  AMATEURS 334 

III.  THE  STRING-QUARTET 343 

IV.  THE  DILETTANTE     ....<...  349 
V.     HELPFUL  BOOKS  AND  METHODS      .  .  359 


PART   VI 

VARIOUS     KINDS     OF     INSTRUCTION:     INDIVIDUAL, 
CLASS,  AND  CONSERVATORY  INSTRUCTION 

L  PRIVATE  TEACHING 371 

II.  CLASS  INSTRUCTION 372 

III.  CONSERVATORY  INSTRUCTION 379 

IV.  EUROPEAN  CONSERVATORIES    ......  385 

V.  AMERICAN  CONSERVATORIES    .        .  .  433 


OH] 


PART   I 


MUSICAL  EDUCATION 

PART   I 

GENERAL   REMARKS   UPON   MUSICAL 
EDUCATION 


I.  Music  A  LANGUAGE,  AN  ART  AND  A  SCIENCE 

Music  is  a  Language. 

Infinitely  less  precise  than  the  most  rudimentary 
of  languages  with  regard  to  the  subject  treated,  on 
the  other  hand,  it  possesses  an  intensity  of  expres- 
sion and  power  of  communicating  emotion  to  which 
no  spoken  language  can  attain,  however  perfect  it 
may  be. 

Like  all  other  languages,  it  is  composed  of  several 
dialects,  patois,  or  jargons,  it  even  has  its  slang;  it 
has  its  rational  and  etymological  orthography,  its 
phonetic  orthography  and  its  whimsical  orthography ; 
we  may  therefore  speak  it  more  or  less  well,  and  write 
it  more  or  less  correctly. 

"  The  study  of  the  musical  language  is  like  that  of 
all  other  languages.  He  who  learns  it  in  his  infancy 
can  become  master  of  it,  but  at  an  advanced  age,  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  acquire  it."  * 

*  Rubinstein,  Aphorisms  (Le  Mtnestrel,  1900 J. 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Like  all  other  languages,  also,  it  can  be  taught  in 
two  ways,  by  practice  and  theory.  It  possesses  its 
own  special  literature  of  an  extreme  richness  and  va- 
riety ;  the  composer  is  an  author  of  the  same  rank  as 
the  man  of  letters ;  the  virtuoso  singers  and  instru- 
mentalists are  interpreters  like  the  reciter  or  reader ; 
one  makes  use  of  words,  the  other  of  sounds,  but  their 
aim  is  the  same, — to  excite  emotion,  or,  at  least,  to 
captivate  the  intellect.  "  Music  is  a  sort  of  universal 
language  which  harmoniously  relates  all  the  sensa- 
tions of  life"  (Mme.  Cottin).  Finally,  also,  like 
other  languages,  it  constantly  transforms  itself  by  a. 
slow  and  logical  evolution,  following  the  progress  of 
civilization  and  corresponding  to  the  needs  of  differ- 
ent periods  and  different  countries. 

Music  is  an  Art. 

The  most  subtle,  the  most  ethereal  and  the  most 
evanescent  of  all  the  arts ;  the  architect  moves  blocks 
of  stone;  the  painter  fixes  upon  canvas,*  wood,  stone, 
or  paper,  colours  that  will  last  for  an  unlimited  time ; 
even  the  poet  finds  in  the  words  of  his  language  the 
fixed  and  ready-prepared  elements  for  his  work.  The 
musician  alone  seems  to  work  in  the  void  and  with 
void;  sonorities  extinguished  almost  as  soon  as  heard 
and  of  which  nothing  remains  but  a  memory, — those 
are  his  materials;  it  is  with  such  means  that  he  must 
"  charm  the  ear,  interest  the  mind  and  sometimes  ele- 
vate the  soul,"  according  to  an  old  definition,  which 
is  not  the  worst  for  all  that.  The  art,  however,  may 
be  likened  to  poetry,  for  the  composer  plays  with 
sounds  as  the  poet  plays  with  words ;  like  poetry,  also, 

[4] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

it  is  strictly  bound  by  the  laws  of  rhythm  and  con- 
sonance; like  it,  it  addresses  itself  to  the  mind,  the 
heart  and  the  soul  by  means  of  the  organ  of  hearing. 
It  also  has  a  strong  resemblance  to  painting,  because 
it  possesses  a  particular  colouring  of  the  latter,  which 
is  orchestration;  its  form  and  line  is  the  melodic  con- 
tour; and  the  judicious  balancing  of  the  combina- 
tions resulting  therefrom,  which  in  the  one,  as  in  the 
other  of  the  two  arts,  constitutes  harmony. — It  may, 
perhaps,  be  likened  to  architecture  even  more  for 
those  who  can  understand  the  important  part  played 
in  music  by  the  relative  proportions  of  the  various 
parts  of  a  composition,  whether  they  be  of  enormous 
or  trifling  importance,  whether  it  is  a  question  of 
a  simple  song  without  words,  or  an  oratorio,  a  little 
dance  air,  or  an  opera  in  five  acts.  To  consider  music 
as  the  "  architecture  of  tone,"  according  to  the  say- 
ing of  Mme.  de  Stael,  is  an  absolutely  correct  con- 
ception :  a  symphony  of  Beethoven,  Mendelssohn,  or 
Saint-Saens  is  a  veritable  tonal  edifice,  exactly  as  a 
monument  such  as  the  Parthenon  in  Athens,  St. 
Mark's,  Venice,  or  Westminster  Abbey  is  a  master- 
piece of  architectural  harmony. 

Music  is  a  Science. 

"  There  is  no  art  without  science :  the  whole  race 
of  masters  proves  this."  * 

It  is  even  a  science  of  mathematics  in  the  highest 
degree,  for,  after  all  is  said  and  done,  all  the  elements 
and  all  the  processes  that  go  to  make  up  a  musical 
work  find  their  explanation  and  their  raison  d'etre 

*  Charles  Crpunod,  fyude  siir  les  chorals  de  Bach  (Preface). 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

in  numbers  and  in  combinations  of  numbers.  Un- 
fruitful of  herself  and  by  herself,  by  strengthening 
Art  and  augmenting  its  productive  power,  "  Science 
is  a  dial  that  marks  the  hour  of  the  progress  accom- 
plished." * 

Rhythm,  whether  it  be  reduced  to  its  most  simple 
expression  or  carried  to  extreme  complexity,  is  noth- 
ing more  than  the  division  of  time  into  equal  or 
unequal,  but  always  proportional  fractions.  Intona- 
tion, or  the  height  of  a  sound,  depends  solely  upon 
the  absolute  number  of  vibrations  that  produce  the 
body  of  tone  set  in  action  for  a  given  time.  Intensity, 
the  greater  or  less  strength  of  tone,  results  from  the 
fulness  of  those  same  vibrations,  and  from  the  vio- 
lence with  which  they  disturb  the  ambient  air.  The 
timbre  (quality  of  tone)  is  the  result  of  the  indi- 
vidual conformation  of  the  instrument  by  which  the 
tone  is  emitted,  and  the  subdivisions  or  harmonic 
.sounds  that  accompany  it. — The  most  masterly  com- 
binations of  harmony  and  counterpoint  are  based 
upon  the  numerical  relations  that  exist  between  dif- 
ferent tones,  from  which  springs  the  more  or  less 
accentuated  sensation  of  consonance,  dissonance,  or 
discord,  which  the  ear  experiences,  and  which  it  en- 
joys, tolerates,  or  rejects. — Finally,  for  I  think  I 
have  omitted  nothing,  everything  may  be  reduced  to 
figures,  analysed  and  explained  by  the  positive  laws 
of  acoustics  and  mathematics. 

Music  is  then  at  once  a  Language,  an  Art  and  a 
Science,  and  should  be  considered,  according  to  cir- 
*  Emile  de  Girardin. 

[6] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

cumstances,  under  one  or  other  of  these  three  as- 
pects. 

Language  is  of  divine  essence,  for  singing  is  as 
natural  to  men  as  is  speech,  or  the  simple  cry ;  it  is 
even  quite  reasonable  to  think  that  among  the  first 
human  beings  the  cry  and  vociferation  preceded  ar- 
ticulate speech. 

Art  is  the  product  of  the  human  mind,  always  tend- 
ing to  ennoble,  to  poetize  and  idealize  the  materials 
furnished  by  nature. 

Science,  as  cold  and  positive  as  Art  is  exuberant, 
appears  here  with  its  numbers  and  exact  formulae,  as 
a  salutary  curb,  or  a  pendulum  charged  with  main- 
taining the  equilibrium. 

From  Language  is  born  Art,  which  could  not  exist 
without  it,  and  which  Science  comes  in  her  turn  to 
explain,  and  prop  up  in  some  measure,  by  guiding 
her  in  her  developments,  and  preventing  her  some- 
times from  wandering  into  dangerous  and  blind  paths. 

It  is  by  inquiring  into  these  ideas  and  others  of 
a  similar  nature  that  we  may  best  discover  the  best 
means  to  employ  in  order  to  undertake  and  pursue 
a  musical  education  under  healthful  conditions, — a 
matter  which  is  more  difficult  than  is  generally  be- 
lieved, and  which  should  not  be  treated  lightly. 

II.  AMATEUR  AND  ARTIST 

Whether  it  is  a  question  of  acquiring  the  talent  of 
an  artist  or  an  amateur,  that  is  only  one  of  degree, 
for  in  taking  as  an  example  the  special  career  ef  a 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

lyric  artist  who  has  to  be  both  singer  and  actor,  really 
one  does  not  know  precisely  where  to  place  the  barrier 
that  separates  the  professional  artist  from  him  who 
gives  his  time  to  music  for  his  own  pleasure.  The 
methods  of  study  are  obviously  the  same  for  both, — 
with  some  slight  differences  which  will  be  shown  in 
the  course  of  this  work, — since  the  final  goal  to  be 
attained  is  nearly  the  same.  Moreover,  do  we  not 
see  amateurs  transforming  themselves  into  militant 
artists  every  day,  just  as  we  see  also  professional 
musicians  abandoning  their  too-ungrateful  career  to 
embrace"  some  more  lucrative  one  while  still  continu- 
ing to  exercise  the  art  merely  for  their  pleasure  or 
for  that  of  those  about  them. 

The  advice  that  is  to  follow,  the  fruit  of  forty 
years'  experience  in  teaching,  in  every  degree  and 
under  all  conditions,  is  therefore  applicable  to  these 
two  categories  without  distinction,  just  as  it  is  to  the 
different  branches  of  the  art  of  music, — composition, 
singing  or  instrumental  virtuosity, — which  any  one 
may  intend  to  follow  at  the  beginning. 

I  say  at  the  beginning,  for  it  will  often  happen 
that  the  original  plans  will  be  modified  by  the  force 
of  circumstances,  or  by  causes  that  are  impossible  to 
foresee  before  the  day  when  they  inexorably  force 
themselves  upon  us,  such  as  the  lack  of  voice  in  the 
adult  whose  parents  prematurely  determined  to  make 
a  singer  of  him,  because  he  had  a  pretty  voice  as  a 
child  or  "because  everybody  has  one  ia  the  family." 
Do  not  laugh ;  that  happens  every  day. 

[8] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 


III.  NATURAL,  APTITUDES,  HEREDITARY  TALENT 
AND  EARLY  INFLUENCES 

This  very  naturally  leads  me  to  point  out  the  too 
frequent  fault  that,  from  the  point  of  view  of  apti- 
tude, consists  in  regarding  the  child  as  a  sort  of  con- 
tinuation of  ourselves,  and  determining  his  career  in 
accordance  with  that  which  we  should/ like  to  have 
embraced  and  which  we  regret  that  we  did  not  follow. 
Most  certainly  there  exist  cases  of  heredity  in  artistic 
disposition  as  in  everything  else:  from  the  Sixteenth 
to  the  Eighteenth  Century  we  have  been  enabled  to 
see  the  tribe  of  the  Bachs  peopling  Thuringia,  Sax- 
ony and  Franconia  with  a  host  of  artists  of  the  first 
order,  who,  in  order  to  preserve  a  kind  of  patriarchal 
bond  among  themselves,  assembled  once  a  year,  some- 
times at  Erfurt,  sometimes  at  Eisenach  or  Arnstadt, 
to  the  number  of  a  hundred  or  a  hundred  and  fifty. 
We  may  cite  from  antiquity  the  Hortensius,  Curio, 
find  Lysius  families,  in  which  the  art  of  oratory  was 
transmitted,  even  among  the  women ;  ^Cschylus,  in 
whose  family  eight  tragic  poets  are  counted;  and 
nearer  our  own  time,  the  Vernets,  painters,  father 
and  son,  for  three  generations ;  Mozart,  whose  father 
played  the  violin ;  and  Rossini,  whose  father  played 
the  horn, — at  fairs ! 

Certainly  we  might  cite  others,  but  it  would  be 
just  as  easy  to  find  contrary  examples  of  children,  en- 
tirely destitute  of  all  artistic  sentiment,  whose  father 
and  mother  were  musicians ;  and,  inversely,  artists  of 

3  [9] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

genius  whose  parents  had  never  manifested  the  slight- 
est inclination  towards  music.  Moreover,  there  are 
a  great  number  of  great  artists  who  pursued  their 
musical  studies  against  the  will  of  their  family: 
Berlioz,  whose  father,  a  doctor,  wanted  him  to  be- 
come a  doctor  like  himself ;  Wagner,  of  whom  his 
family  had  decided  to  make  a  painter,  and  who  could 
only  give  himself  up  to  music  to  the  great  distress  of 
his  family  who  did  not  believe  in  his  vocation ;  *  Han- 
del, who  was  forced  to  work  in  secret;  and  Nicolo, 
Dalayrac  and  Chabrier  were  of  this  class. 

Therefore,  we  must  not  make  any  rules  at  all ;  and 
it  is  distressing  when  people  say  to  you :  "  Oh,  if  I 
ever  have  a  son,  I  will  make  a  musician  of  him, 
I  should  so  much  have  liked  to  be  one  myself !  "  This 
most  frequently  ends  (obstinacy  entering  into  it)  in 
imposing  upon  the  poor  little  creature  months  and 
years  of  work  for  which  he  does  not  feel  the  slightest 
attraction,  and  which  is  to  him  a  veritable  torture. 
This  can  even  be  carried  so  far  as  to  make  him  abhor 
music. 

On  the  other  hand,  one  thing  which  is  of  enormous 
importance  in  the  future  development  of  the  intel- 
ligence of  the  child,  in  the  present  meaning,  is  his 
surroundings  during  his  early  childhood,  the  atmos- 
phere which  he  breathes  and  the  degree  of  musical  cul- 
tivation possessed  by  those  who  are  continually  with 
him.  At  the  risk  of  seeming  paradoxical,  I  have  no 
hesitation  in  saying  that  a  nurse  who  cannot  sing  in 
tune,  can  spoil  his  ear  forever;  and  what  I  advance 
*  Lavignac,  The  Music  Dramas  of  Richard  Wagner. 

[10] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

here  is  not  so  very  extraordinary,  if  people  will  only 
notice  that  a  child  acquires  and  preserves,  sometimes 
for  his  whole  life,  and  always  for  a  very  long  time, 
the  characteristic  accent  of  the  country  in  which  he 
was  born,  or  the  persons  by  whom  he  was  brought 
up;  and  if  after  many  years  it  happens  that  he 
loses  it,  there  will  always  remain  with  him  a  propen- 
sity to  recover  it  on  the  shortest  stay  in  his  native 
country. 

"  The  Romans  have  taught  us,  by  their  applica- 
tion to  the  study  of  their  language,  what  we  should 
do  to  instruct  ourselves  in  our  own.  With  them,  the 
children  from  the  cradle  were  trained  in  the  purity 
of  language.  This  was  regarded  as  the  first  and  the 
most  important  care,  after  that  of  morals.  This  was 
particularly  recommended  to  the  mothers  themselves, 
the  nurses  and  the  servants.  They  were  warned  to 
watch  as  far  as  it  was  possible,  lest  any  vicious  ex- 
pression or  pronunciation  escape  them,  for  fear  that 
their  first  impressions  might  become  a  second  nature 
to  them  which  would  be  almost  impossible  to  change 
afterwards."  * 

What  therefore   is   there  astonishing  in   the   fact 
that  the  same  phenomenon  should  be  produced  with 
regard  to  musical  sounds?     The  baby  who  has  never 
heard  anybody  sing  in  tune,  will  not  be  able  to  form 
an  idea  how  to  sing  himself,  so  he  will  begin  by  sing- 
ing out  of  tune ;  his  ear,  still  in  a  state  of  formation, 
will  become  accustomed  to  and  in  some  measure  at- 
tuned to  that  way  of  singing.    Later,  he  will  continue 
*  Rollin,  Traits  des  Etudes. 
[11] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

in  this  way,  having  no  reason  to  do  differently ;  and 
that  is  how  false  voices  are  produced. 

"  Man's  education  begins  at  his  birth,"  said  J.  J. 
Rousseau ;  "  the  first  habits  are  the  strongest," 
writes  Fenelon.  Now,  what  are  the  first  habits  that 
a  child  can  acquire?  To  walk  badly,  or  to  pronounce 
badly,  since  these  are  the  first  two  things  that  he 
learns;  and  I  add  to  sing  badly,  because  he  amuses 
himself  quite  as  much  with  humming  as  in  babbling 
syllables.  Montaigne  was  of  the  same  opinion,  and 
was  even  more  explicit.  This  is  what  he  says :  "  I 
find  that  our  greatest  vices  take  their  bent  from  our 
most  tender  infancy,  and  our  chief  government  is  in 
the  hands  of  a  nurse."  I  believe  that  this  is  suffi- 
ciently clear,  at  least  unless  one  wishes  to  admit  that 
to  sing  falsely,  or  to  hear  falsely,  denotes  a  defect  of 
conformation. 

On  this  subject,  I  find  a  charming  anecdote  in 
Gounod's  Memoires  and  reproduce  it  textually :  "  My 
mother,  who  was  my  nurse,  certainly  made  me  swal- 
low as  much  music  as  milk.  She  never  fed  me  with- 
out singing,  and  I  may  say  that  I  took  my  first  lessons 
unwittingly  and  without  having  to  pay  that  atten- 
tion that  is  so  painful  in  early  years  and  so  difficult 
to  obtain  from  children.  Unconsciously,  I  had  al- 
ready had  a  very  clear  and  precise  notion  of  the  in- 
tonations and  the  intervals  that  they  represent,  of 
all  the  first  elements  that  constitute  modulation  and 
of  the  characteristic  difference  between  the  major  and 
minor  modes,  even  before  I  could  speak,  because  one 
day  hearing  a  street  singer  (some  beggar  doubtless), 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

singing  a  song  in  the  minor,  I  cried  out :  *  Mama,  why 
does  he  sing  in  do  when  he  is  crying?  ' 

"  I  had  therefore  a  perfectly  trained  ear,  and  I 
could  with  advantage  already  have  held  my  place  as 
a  pupil  in  a  course  of  solfeggio,  or  I  could  even  have 
been  the  teacher."  * 

By  a  strange  concordance  of  ideas,  the  celebrated 
Professor  Zimmermann  who  was  destined  to  become 
the  father-in-law  of  Gounod,  frequently  used  this  ex- 
pression :  "  It  is  necessary  to  inoculate  a  child  with 
music." 

J.  J.  Rousseau  relates  that  when  he  was  quite  lit- 
tle, one  of  his  aunts  sang  popular  songs  to  him  while 
rocking  him  asleep:  "I  am  persuaded,"  he  adds, 
"  that  I  owe  to  her  my  taste,  or  rather  my  passion,  for 
music,  which  was  not  developed  in  me  until  long  after- 
wards." •)• 

From  all  this,  we  may  regard  it  as  settled  and  suf- 
ficiently demonstrated  that  long  before  the  period 
when  it  is  proper  to  undertake  musical  instruction, 
properly  so-called,  it  is  not  a  matter  of  indifference  to 
prepare  the  soil  for  this  culture  by  rooting  out  ill 
and  hurtful  weeds,  that  is  to  say  by  removing  from 
the  baby  all  disturbing  causes  of  the  sense  of  hear- 
ing, violent  noises,  trepidations,  shrill  or  discordant 
voices,  and  instruments  that  are  too  blatant,  with  the 
same  care  that  will  be  employed  later  in  preventing 
his  hearing  anything  that  might  develop  bad  taste. 

A  father,  who  cherishes  for  his  daughter,  who  is 

*  Gounod,  Mtmoires  <Tun  artiste. 
f  J.  J.  Rousseau,  Confessions. 

[13] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

still  in  her  cradle  (this  is  a  simple  supposition),  the 
ambition  that  she  shall  shine  one  day  as  a  dancer  at 
the  opera,  probably  would  not  be  very  much  surprised 
if  one  of  his  friends  should  advise  him  to  watch  her 
from  her  first  steps  so  that  she  might  not  have  crooked 
legs.  He  perhaps  might  even  have  thought  of  it  him- 
self. 

At  bottom,  it  is  exactly  the  same  thing  as  that  of 
which  we  have  been  talking.  The  only  difference  is 
that  the  legs  are  visible,  and  if  they  are  crooked  we 
can  see  it  at  once ;  while  if  any  deformity  is  produced 
in  the  apparatus  of  hearing,  mysteriously  fitted  as  it 
is  into  the  skull  cavity,  nobody  can  detect  it  until  it  is 
too  late  to  apply  any  possible  remedy.  And  the  harm 
remains.  Later,  it  is  asked  why  this  child  hears  false, 
and  sings  false,  while  his  parents  heard  and  sang  so 
true,  and  it  is  often  merely  because  his  ear  has  been 
brutalized  or  led  ill  at  an  age  when  it  would  have  been 
easy  to  care  for  it,  as  is  done  for  the  visible  organs, 
the  developments  of  which  are  easy  to  follow  day  by 
day. 

Now,  if  the  ear  is  defective,  it  would  be  better  to 
renounce  at  once  all  thought  of  making  music,  first 
because  such  a  one  can  never  be  anything  but  a  de- 
testable musician  of  the  lowest  order,  a  musician  who 
is  far  too  numerous,  and  then  because  he  can  never  ex- 
perience any  pleasure  in  it.  And  since  music  is  ranked 
among  the  arts  that  give  delight,  it  would  be  simply 
absurd  to  undertake  the  study  of  it  with  the  half- 
certainty  that  one  would  never  extract  from  it  the 
slightest  enjoyment,  that  one  would  never  arrive  at 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

anything  but  pitiful  results,  in  default  of  the  natural 
taste  and  the  special  aptitude  that  are  so  necessary, 
and,  finally,  that  in  pursuing  a  chimerical  aim,  pre- 
cious time  is  lost  that  might  be  utilized  in  a  thousand 
agreeable  and  profitable  ways.  Therefore,  I  hold 
those  parents  very  guilty,  who,  simply  for  the  sake 
of  conforming  to  the  present  stupid  fashion  that  de- 
mands that  everybody  shall  be  more  or  less  of  a  mu- 
sician ,  exact  such  efforts  from  their  children  without 
having  assured  themselves  beforehand  that  they  have 
at  least  strong  chances  of  success. 

IV.  INDICATIONS  OF  MUSICAL  TALENT  IN  YOUNG 
CHILDREN 

How  then  can  we  satisfy  ourselves  that  a  predis- 
position for  music  exists? 

To  speak  the  truth,  I  do  not  belfeve  that  there  are 
any  absolutely  certain  and  infallible  signs ;  but  there 
are  numerous  indications  which  rarely  deceive.  And 
here  are  a  few  of  them : 

The  child  (I  am  not  speaking  of  an  infant,  but  of 
a  child  of  from  four  to  six  years,  and  perhaps  older), 
manifests  an  evident  pleasure  in  listening  to  music. 
He  walks  up  to  the  piano.  He  loves  to  hear  singing. 
He  asks  not  to  be  sent  to  bed  in  the  evening  when 
there  is  music.  That  is  a  good  sign  already. 

A  child,  who  allowed  to  choose  between  an  evening 
at  the  circus  and  a  concert  of  serious  music,  selects  the 
concert,  deserves  that  this  should  be  noticed;  if  he 
does  this  again,  so  much  the  more  reason. 
[15] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

He  drums  on  the  table,  or  upon  the  window-panes, 
vith  a  ruler  or  his  fingers,  with  a  clearly-marked 
rhythm,  reproducing  the  recognizable  swing  of  a 
Traltz  or  a  march, — that  is  also  of  good  augury. 

If  he  easily  retains  the  simple  airs  that  he  has 
lieard  sung,  .children's  tunes,  popular  songs  and 
hymns,  and  enjoys  singing  them  to  himself  for  his 
own  pleasure, — that  is  a  serious  indication.  If  he 
really  sings  them  in  tune  and  in  time,  that  is  an  excel- 
lent sign,  which  must  be  taken  into  consideration. 

If,  of  his  own  initiative,  without  the  suggestion  of 
any  one,  he  has  the  idea  of  picking  out  those  airs  upot?' 
the  piano  with  one  finger,  that  is  still  better;  and  if 
he  should  happen  to  succeed,  that  is  almost  conclu- 
sive. 

One  may  then  proceed  to  a  few  little  experiments 
with  the  object  of  proving  if  he  possesses  those  two 
precious  qualities :  the  sense  of  the  imitation  of  tones. 
and  the  memory  of  tones,  which  are  not  the  samo 
thing  at  all. 

One  should  make  him  listen,  from  any  instrument 
whatever,  or  still  better  from  the  voice,  to  one  note 
first,  just  one,  asking  him  to  sing  it.  If  he  should 
succeed,  then,  try  another  note,  but  be  careful  not 
to  exceed  the  limits  of  his  little  voice,  so  that  you  may 
not  demand  anything  beyond  his  powers,  nor  con- 
fuse, nor  trouble  him.  Then  you  can  make  him  listen 
to  and  repeat  two  consecutive  notes, — a  major  sec- 
ond and  a  minor  second,  third,  fourth,  or  fifth,  but 
always  intervals  easy  to  grasp,  taking  care  always  to 
give  them  sometimes  ascending  and  sometimes  de- 
[16] 


scending.  If  he  satisfies  these  tests,  which  need  not 
be  carried  beyond  three  notes,  he  certainly  possesses 
the  instinctive  sense  of  the  imitation  of  tones,  a  very 
precious  thing,  because  it  is  acquired  with  great  dif- 
ficulty and  thorough  study  by  those  who  are  not  nat- 
urally gifted  with  it. 

With  regard  to  the  memory  of  tones,  one  must  pro- 
ceed differently.  After  having  made  him  listen  in- 
tently to  any  note  whatever,  for  example  la  of  the 
scale,  to  which  you  very  strongly  call  his  attention, 
and  which  you  make  him  sing  and  repeat,  you  play 
for  him  the  scale  of  C  major  very  slowly,  asking  him 
to  recognize  la  as  you  play  it.  You  can  modify  the 
experiment  by  playing  the  tones  out  of  their  regular 
order  in  the  scale.  You  can  make  it  still  more  diffi- 
cult and  more  of  a  test  by  talking  of  something  or 
other,  by  telling  a  story,  or  by  clapping  your  hands, 
or  knocking  on  the  table,  making  noises  which  have 
no  musical  character  whatever,  between  the  moment 
his  attention  is  called  to  the  note  and  that  when  you 
ask  him  to  recognize  it  among  several  others.  He 
who  stands  this  second  test,  may  be  truly  considered 
as  having  a  correct  ear,  and  is  very  probably  apt  to 
profit  by  musical  instruction. 

It  must  be  well  understood  that  these  divers  tests, 
which  are  easy  enough  to  vary,  should  always  be  un- 
dertaken in  familiar  play,  and  without  any  solemnity 
that  might  produce  the  intimidating  appearance  of 
an  examination. 

Moreover,  if  this  is  not  successful  one  day?  there 
is  nothing  to  prevent  one  from  trying  it  again  a 
[17] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

month  or  a  year  later,  without  despairing  in  the 
least ;  for  the  musical  temperament  is  far  from  mani- 
festing itself  at  the  same  age  in  cver}r  individual,  and 
extreme  precocity  is  not  always  an  indispensable  ad- 
vantage. 

I  will  quote  here,  however,  a  very  interesting  ex- 
ample that  I  have  found  in  a  volume  by  Camille 
Saint-Saens,  which  will  show  in  what  manner  the  mu- 
sical sense  is  revealed  during  the  earliest  years  among 
those  who  are  veritably  well  organized,  as  well  as  the 
proper  way  a  child  should  be  put  through  the  divers 
experimental  tests  of  which  we  have  just  spoken. 

"  In  my  childhood,  I  had  a  very  delicate  ear,  and 
people  often  used  to  amuse  themselves  by  making  me 
name  the  note  produced  by  any  object  that  would 
give  out  a  tone, — candlestick,  glass,  or  sconce.  I 
could  always  tell  the  note  without  any  hesitation. 
When  they  asked  me  what  note  a  bell  produced,  I  al- 
ways replied :  *  It  does  not  make  one  note ;  it  makes 
several.'  This  seemed  to  astonish  people  greatly."  * 

And  I  wager  that  this  will  still  greatly  astonish 
many  persons,  because  the  multiple  resonance  of  bells, 
which  really  do  produce  several  tones— despite  the 
proverb  "  qui  n'entend  qu\me  cloche  n'entend  qu'un 
son  '' — there  is  always  one  tone  so  strongly  prominent 
that  it  absorbs  the  attention  to  such  a  degree  as  to 
render  the  others  completely  unnoticeable.  And  it 
was  in  hearing  these  that  the  young  Saint-Saeis  ex- 
hibited a  remarkable  sagacity,  and  a  truly  rare 
delicacy  of  hearing. 

*  Camille  Saint-Saens,  Harmonw  et  Mtlvdie. 
[18] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

Saint-Saens  was  a  prodigy  of  precocity ;  Mozart 
ras  another;  at  the  age  of  four  years  he  already 
composed  little  minuets ;  Haydn,  at  five,  manifested 
the  pleasure  he  would  have  in  taking  part  in  a  fam- 
ily concert  by  imitating  the  playing  of  the  violin  by 
means  of  a  small  stick  upon  a  piece  of  wood.  This 
was  less  striking,  but  shortly  afterwards,  he  really 
played,  and  with  taste,  upon  a  real  violin.  We  might 
cite  several  others  who  became  very  great  artists,  but 
this  is  far  from  being  a  necessary  condition ;  one 
might  almost  assert  the  contrary,  that  in  general  the 
little  prodigies,  hectic  blossoms  of  a  hothouse,  do  not 
enjoy  long  careers.  All  these  unfortunate  violinists, 
pianists,  and  others,  of  six  and  four  years,  products 
of  unnatural  forcing,  whom  we  see  some  Barnum  ex- 
hibiting throughout  the  world,  are  most  frequently 
destined  to  become  very  ordinary  musicians,  or  to  dis- 
appear early  from  the  artistic  horizon,  where  they 
have  no  longer  the  slightest  reason  to  attract  atten- 
tion. 

Beethoven  was  not  an  infant  prodigy ;  far  from  it ; 
it  was  necessary  to  beat  him  in  order  to  make  him 
work  at  his  piano:  so  says  Fetis,  to  whom  I  leave  the 
responsibility  of  this  bad  treatment.  Even  if  it  did 
succeed  so  well  in  his  case,  there  is  no  reason  to  make 
beating  a  rule  for  teaching  the  arts  of  pleasure. 

Rubinstein  expresses  a  very  interesting  opinion 
upon  this  subject:  "  Most  of  our  great  masters  were 
infant  prodigies,  but  the  number  of  great  masters  is 
very  small  in  comparison  with  the  great  mass  of 
musically-gifted  children  we  admire  every  year,  and 
[19] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

who,  later,  fulfil  none  of  their  promises.  Ordinarily, 
musical  talent  manifests  itself  in  children  at  the  ten- 
derest  age ;  but  there  comes  a  time  ( with  boys  from 
fifteen  to  twenty,  and  girls  from  fourteen  to  seven- 
teen) when  this  musical  talent  suffers  a  crisis,  is 
weakened,  or  goes  to  sleep  forever ;  only  those  who  are 
capable  of  passing  this  Rubicon,  become  great  artists, 
their  number  is  very  limited."  * 

V.  PROPER  AGE  TO  BEGIN  THE  STUDY  OF  Music  AND 
How  TO  TEACH  Music  TO  YOUNG  CHILDREN 

The  age  at  which  it  is  expedient  to  begin  the  ele- 
mentary musical  instruction  is  essentially  variable, 
and  cannot  be  fixed  precisely.  It  cannot  be  the  same 
for  everybody,  and  remains  subordinate  to  various 
considerations,  the  principal  only  of  which  I  can 
think  of  enumerating  here. 

In  the  first  place,  come  the  general  physical  con- 
dition and  health  of  the  young  subject :  one  should 
never  exact  from  a  sickly  child  a  brain-work,  in  reality 
very  enervating  and  exciting,  that  might  result  in 
some  irremediable  harm  to  his  normal  development ; 
examples  of  cases  of  over-taxation  are,  unhappily, 
not  rare.  The  child  should  be  gay,  well  and  alert ; 
if  he  is  not,  then  it  would  be  better  to  wait.  More- 
over, it  is  very  important  to  take  into  account  his 
character,  the  aptitude  that  he  may  have  shown  al- 
ready for  some  other  study,  such  as  reading,  the  reci- 
tation of  fables,  or  for  games  that  demand  a  certain 
*  A.  Rubinstein,  La  musique  et  ses  reprlsentants. 

[20] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

effort  of  intelligence  or  memory.  Finally,  although 
wishing  for  their  appearance,  it  is  necessary  to  wait 
patiently  for  the  manifestation  of  some  one  of  the 
precursory  signs,  by  which,  as  we  have  shown,  those 
who  are  gifted  by  nature  with  a  temperament  quali- 
fied to  receive  the  benefits  of  a  musical  education  may 
be  almost  certainly  recognized.  The  great  philoso- 
pher Kant  has  told  us :  "  To  develop  each  individual 
in  the  full  perfection  of  which  he  is  capable,  that  is 
the  aim  of  education."  Before  attempting  to  in- 
culcate the  principles  of  any  art  whatsoever  into  a 
child,  it  is  imperative  therefore  to  assure  yourself  that 
he  is  in  the  desired  condition  to  profit  by  them.  I  re- 
peat this  here  for  the  last  time,  so  as  not  to  return  to 
it  again. 

When  the  proper  moment  seems  to  have  arrived  for 
giving  him  his  first  musical  notions,  it  is  necessary 
to  choose  a  method,  a  plan  of  procedure,  and  to  put 
him  in  the  hands  of  a  teacher,  being  thoroughly 
saturated  with  this  truth,  that  it  is  not  more  difficult 
to  direct  an  education  well  than  to  direct  it  badly ; 
the  whole  thing  is  to  take  trouble  enough  to  enlighten 
oneself  instead  of  walking  blindly. 

Just  here,  it  is  well  to  remember  that  music  is  above 
all  a  language,  and  that  the  system  of  teaching  that 
is  best  adapted  to  it  is  the  one  also  that  accords  best 
with  the  teaching  of  languages,  the  one  by  which  we 
all  have  learned  our  mother  tongue,  and  which  is 
naturally  pointed  out  to  us  by  simple  common  sense: 
practice  before  theory. 

To  teach  music  to  a  very  young  child  by  means  of 


principles,  no  matter  how  simple  they  may  be,  is  about 
as  judicious  as  trying  to  teach  him  to  talk  by  gram- 
mar. Certainly,  one  may  and  one  does  accomplish 
this,  but  at  the  cost  of  how  much  lost  time,  of  how 
much  irritation  to  the  parents  and  the  teacher,  and  of 
what  useless  fatigue  to  the  poor  little  brain  of  the 
pupil ! 

It  is  so  easy,  on  the  contrary,  to  present  the  thing 
as  an  amusement,  a  game  that  is  a  relief  from  his 
others,  and  to  let  Nature  work.  Nature  has  endowed 
the  child  with  the  spirit  of  imitation ;  it  is  because  he 
hears  people  talking  around  him  that  he  tries  to  do 
the  same,  and  of  his  own  accord  attempts  first  to  pro- 
nounce the  simplest  syllables,  ba  or  ma,  which  he  re- 
peats to  satiety  for  several  months,  before  passing  to 
others  that  are  more  complicated,  such  as  Za  or  ra, 
and  then  unites  them  to  form  words.  If,  as  a  cruel  ex- 
periment, one  should  impose  absolute  silence  around 
a  child  from  his  birth  to  his  coming  of  age,  it  would 
never  occur  to  him  to  try  to  talk.  This  is,  moreover, 
exactly  what  happens  in  the  case  of  those  who  are  deaf 
from  their  birth ;  never  having  heard  any  talking,  it 
never  occurs  to  them  to  talk,  although  their  vocal  or- 
gans may  be  perfectly  formed  for  it ;  and  they  become 
deaf-mutes.  It  is  then  by  the  simple  spirit  of  imita- 
tion, and  by  amusing  himself,  that  the  child  learns 
to  form  all  the  sounds  of  the  spoken  language,  arid 
not  because  some  one  explains  to  him  the  difference 
between  the  vowels  and  consonants,  the  labials  and  the 
gutturals.  Later,  when  he  knows  how  to  form  words, 
it  is  in  precisely  the  same  manner  that  he  learns  how  to 
[22] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

construct  phrases,  first  of  two  words,  and  then  longer 
ones,  always  without  any  advice  whatever,  but  only 
by  listening  to  what  is  said  around  him  and  striving 
to  imitate  it  as  closely  as  possible ;  ( it  is  then  that  he 
acquires  the  accent  of  the  place  where  he  is  brought 
up,  as  well  as  the  expressions  and  turns  of  phrases  of 
the  persons  who  are  with  him);  it  is  not  until  very 
much  later,  when  he  already  speaks  in  such  a  way  as 
to  make  himself  thoroughly  understood  that  you 
should  make  such  observations  as  these  to  him:  Do 
not  say :  "  I  am  been,"  but  "  I  am  gone  " ;  or  again 
you  must  not  say  "  I  have  conversed  to  Mama,"  but 
"  I  have  conversed  with  Mama."  But  before  that,  he 
will  speak,  if  not  correctly  and  elegantly,  at  least  in 
such  a  way  as  to  make  himself  understood  perfectly. 
When  afterwards,  the  child  is  able  to  read,  if  he 
has  the  taste  for  reading  and  some  little  spirit  of  ob- 
servation, he  perfects  his  speech  in  the  most  natural 
manner,  and,  what  is  still  more  curious,  he  often 
teaches  himself  orthography  thus  by  pure  instinct, 
by  the  memory  of  the  eyes,  without  any  one  ever  hav- 
ing given  him  the  slightest  knowledge  of  the  most 
elementary  rules  of  grammar.  I  know  several  in- 
stances of  young  persons  who  have  never  opened  a 
grammar  and  who  write  French  in  an  absolutely  cor- 
rect manner;  when  a  chain  of  words  puzzles  them, 
they  write  it  in  several  ways,  look  at  it  attentively  and 
invariably  choose, — the  best.  I  do  not  maintain  that, 
carried  to  such  a  degree,  this  method  would  suit  every 
subject;  no!  first  of  all,  it  is  necessary  that  they 
should  love  to  read,  and  read  much ;  then  it  is  also  nee- 
[23] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

essary  that  they  should  read  attentively  and  by  bring- 
ing their  attention  to  bear  upon  the  aspect  and 
physiognomy  of  the  words  and  phrases,  that  they 
finally  should  possess  the  spirit  of  observation,  imi- 
tation and  the  memory  of  the  eyes. 

It  may  seem  as  if  I  am  wandering  from  my  sub- 
ject; on  the  contrary,  we  are  in  the  very  heart  of  it. 
Of  all  languages,  music  is  the  one  that  best  accom- 
modates itself  at  the  start,  particularly  when  one  is 
dealing  with  very  young  children,  to  this  means  of 
teaching,  by  practice  only  at  first,  reserving  all  the- 
oretical notions  until  the  time  when  the  learner  shall 
have  reached  the  age  of  reason.  Then  theory  will  be 
indispensable  and  should  take  the  chief  place.  Here 
is  an  experiment  which  I  have  made  several  times,  and 
which  has  always  succeeded:  introduce  a  child  whom 
you  have  reason  to  believe  is  well-organized  into  an 
elementary  course  of  solfeggio,  where  the  pupils  are 
a  little  older  than  he  is ;  at  first  he  is  greatly  flattered. 
The  teacher  makes  him  sit  near  him,  and  then  says 
nothing  to  him,  absolutely  nothing,  he  only  watches 
and  listens ;  we  conduct  the  class  without  taking  any 
notice  of  him,  except  to  have  him  taken  away  on  the 
pretext  that  the  lesson  is  over,  if  he  shows  signs  of 
fatigue,  or  if  he  yawns.  At  the  end  of  a  dozen  sit- 
tings, we  shall  be  surprised  to  see  him  try  to  beat  time, 
in  order  to  do  like  the  others,  or  even  try  to  sing; 
when  he  is  with  little  friends  who  are  dancing  in  a 
ring,  we  let  him  dance  with  them;  since  the  game  is 
a  singing-game,  he  has  a  perfect  right  to  sing  with 
the  others.  Every  now  and  then  we  may  ask  him  to 
[M] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

show  us  on  the  music-books  where  we  are ;  taken  un- 
awares, he  makes  mistakes  at  first ;  then  he  will  try 
to  follow  by  the  glance  of  his  big  comrades,  but  in  a 
short  time  he  will  be  able  to  follow  the  music  alone, 
by  means  of  the  figure,  particularly  if  we  trust  him 
with  the  duty  of  turning  the  pages,  which  will  force 
him  to  fix  his  attention.  If  at  this  time  we  begin  to 
teach  him  the  notes,  we  shall  find  that  he  knows  them 
already.  A  great  and  troublesome  halting-place  will 
have  been  passed  without  his  ever  having  suspected  it. 

From  this  time  forward  we  can  treat  him  like  the 
other  pupils,  and  make  him  take  an  actual  part  in 
the  lesson. 

One  cannot  always  have  at  hand  a  good  course  of 
elementary  solfeggio,  intelligently  directed.  We  in- 
dicate elsewhere  another  manner  of  undertaking  this 
study,*  which  could  not  be  pushed  too  far,  nor  pro- 
longed too  greatly,  for  this  is  the  one  that  makes  the 
true  musician. 

VI.  SOLFEGGIO,  MUSICAL,  DICTATION,  IMPORTANCE 
OF  HEARING  GOOD  Music  AND  PROPER  LENGTH 
OF  TIME  FOR  DAILY  STUDY 

Solfeggio,  properly  speaking,  consists  of  singing 
whilst  naming  the  notes  and  beating  the  time.  It  is 
thus  that  we  learn  to  read  in  all  the  keys  with  equal 
facility,  an  indispensable  matter  for  those  who  wish 
to  carry  their  studies  very  far,  especially  in  the  field 
of  composition.  "  Apply  yourself  without  delay  to 

*  See  page  89. 
3  [25] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  reading  of  ancient  clefs,  otherwise  the  treasures 
of  the  past  will  remain  hidden  from  you."  Later, 
when  we  shall  speak  in  detail  of  the  special  education 
of  the  singer  and  that  of  the  instrumentalist,  we  will 
specify  the  clefs  that  may  be  rightly  dispensed  with, 
but  which  it  would  be  better  to  know,  this  is  in  re- 
serve. 

The  works  written  for  the  instruction  of  solfeggio 
are  innumerable.  There  are  as  many  good  and  ex- 
cellent as  bad  ones,  it  is  the  teacher  who  must  know 
how  to  discriminate ;  the  good  ones  are  all  those  that 
have  an  artistic  and  musical  character;  the  others 
must  be  shunned  like  poison,  for  they  have  the  power 
to  alter  the  nature  and  pervert  the  taste  of  the  child 
forever.  And  at  no  stage  of  the  instruction  is  it  more 
necessary  than  at  the  beginning  to  spur  the  pupil 
towards  the  beautiful,  and  to  form  his  judgment  by 
keeping  from  him  all  that  is  vulgar,  trivial  and  ugly, 
for  he  will  always  feel  the  effects  of  it. 

Of  the  numerous  courses,  the  solfeggio  d'ensemble, 
of  two  or  three  parts,  is  a  very  good  thing,  but,  of 
itself  insufficient.  It  must  not  be  neglected,  however. 

An  excellent  complement  to  solfeggio  is  musical 
dictation,  which  bears  the  same  relation  to  solfeggio 
that  the  theme  does  to  the  interpretation,  or  rather 
that  writing  does  to  reading.  In  this  exercise,  it  is  no 
longer  the  pupil  that  sings,  but  the  master ;  after  hav- 
ing made  them  listen  in  extenso  to  a  phrase  of  eight  or 

*  Robert  Schumann,  Conseits  aux  jeunes  musicims,  translated 
from  the  German  by  Franz  Liszt,  a  very  small  work,  from  which, 
however,  we  shall  take  pleasure  in  quoting  very  often. 

[26] 


sixteen  bars,  he  cuts  it  into  short  fragments,  each  of 
which  he  repeats  several  times,  with  pauses,  so  that 
the  pupil  may  have  the  necessary  time  to  write  what 
he  has  heard  and  understood. 

If  we  find  ourselves  face  to  face  with  a  pupil  totally 
lacking  in  voice,  or  suffering  from  aphonia,  we  can 
try  to  supply  the  study  of  solfeggio  which  is  forbid- 
den to  him  on  account  of  his  unhappy  constitution, 
by  developing  that  of  dictation,  which  he  should  then 
be  made  to  write  in  the  different  clefs.  This  is,  how- 
ever, only  a  makeshift. 

As  soon  as  the  child  is  able  to  read  and  write 
fluently,  it  becomes  expedient  to  make  him  learn  the 
first  elements  of  the  Theory  of  Music,  which,  in  all 
probability,  he  will  be  apt  to  understand  and  to  as- 
similate easily.  With  the  exception  of  what  has  to 
do  with  definitions,  it  is  absolutely  useless  to  make 
him  learn  anything  at  all  by  heart  and  word  for 
word,- — an  excellent  system  for  parrots  but  not  for 
artists.  It  is  infinitely  better  simply  to  make  sure 
that  the  thing  has  been  thoroughly  understood, 
and  well  fixed  in  the  intelligence,  and  to  be  satisfied, 
even  if  it  is  expressed  a  little  awkwardly,  as  it  adapts 
itself  to  the  requirements  of  infantile  explanations. 
Later,  it  will  be  necessary  to  dive  deeper  into  the 
study  of  Theory,  and  even  to  require  the  pupil  to 
solve  these  problems  that  are  somewhat  of  the  nature 
of  a  Chinese  puzzle,  such  as  are  found  in  all  the  books 
written  especially  for  this  study.  It  is  a  kind  of  men- 
tal gymnastics,  a  training  exercise  which  has  in  it 
nothing  whatever  that  is  fatiguing,  and  which  only 
[27] 


those  disparage  who  have  not  experienced  its  bene- 
fits. 

At  this  period  in  the  education  of  a  young  mu- 
sician, it  is  already  very  good  and  useful  to  make 
him  hear  good  music  from  time  to  time,  and  to  take 
him  to  Symphony  Concerts,  always  provided  that  he 
seems  to  take  pleasure  in  them,  because  in  the  con- 
trary case  it  would  be  much  better  to  put  them  off. 
If  he  has  a  very  true  voice,  even  if  it  is  but  a  tiny 
thread,  and  if  he  is  sufficiently  advanced  not  to  give 
any  trouble,  we  may  try  to  gain  him  admission  as 
a  participant  in  one  of  the  numerous  well-trained 
choruses,  whether  composed  of  artists  or  amateurs,  to 
take  part  in  some  of  the  rehearsals,  at  first  partial, 
and  afterwards  the  whole  time,  and  finally  in  the  Con- 
cert itself.  All  this  is  to  give  him  the  opportunity 
of  hearing  music  talked  about,  and  of  rubbing 
against  musicians,  perhaps  composers,  of  seeing  how 
music  is  made,  and  learning  a  lot  of  things  through 
his  own  little  experience.  All  this  is  excellent,  upon 
the  simple  condition  that  it  is  always  a  pleasure 
and  not  a  tax.  It  must  also  be  a  condition  that  he 
shuns  the  vulgar  and  coarse  music  of  a  low  order, 
such  as  that  of  the  Cafes-Concerts,  Music  Halls, 
and  other  horrible  anti-artistic  places.  In  a  word, 
from  this  time  forward  all  occasions  to  bring  the 
child  into  contact  with  music  and  musicians  {good 
music  and  good  musicians),  must  be  sought  for,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  repulse  emphatically  all  that  might 
cause  him  fatigue,  enervation,  and  ennui,  which  must 
be  avoided  above  all  else.  All  this  is  a  question  of  tact 
[28] 


GENERAL  REMARKS 

and  caution,  of  which  the  parents  and  teachers  are 
the  sole  judges. 

To  finish  with  this  period  of  infantile  education, 
upon  which  I  have  thought  I  ought  to  insist  some- 
what at  length,  because  to  my  mind  it  most  frequently 
is  of  decisive  importance,  I  will  add  that  one  must 
not  demand  sustained  attention  to  the  elementary 
study  of  music  from  the  child  for  more  than  half  an 
hour  (even  a  quarter  of  an  hour  at  the  beginning) 
at  a  time ;  more  would  be  lost  time,  the  mind  being  no 
longer  on  the  work.  But  one  can  repeat  this  half 
hour  (or  this  quarter  of  an  hour)  two  or  three  times 
during  the  day,  at  long  intervals,  using  these  in- 
tervals for  rest,  play,  a  walk,  or  other  studies,  such 
as  writing,  reading,  mathematics,  drawing,  etc.,  etc., 
which  should  not  be  neglected,  for  the  study  of  music 
alone  will  never  lead  to  anything  great,  even  for  a 
professional  musician,  who  would  experience  great 
unhappiness  in  life,  and  even  much  hindrance  if  he 
were  deprived  of  all  other  instruction,  and  had  never 
learned  anything  except  music.  Now  these  three 
half-hours  a  day,  well-employed,  are  perfectly  ade- 
quate to  obtain  the  desired  result  at  this  period  of 
education. 

During  these  primary  studies,  which  may  be  pro- 
longed, according  to  the  temperament,  the  activity 
and  the  degree  of  intellectual  receptivity  of  the 
neophyte,  from  two  months  to  two  years,  it  is  well 
to  observe  him  attentively  and  minutely,  for  a  happy 
circumstance,  often  the  most  unforeseen  bf  all,  may 
chance  to  reveal  some  splendid  aptitude  in  him  and 
[29] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

indicate  the  exact  path  into  which  he  should  be  di- 
rected. Whatever  this  may  be,  we  shall  never  have 
to  regret  the  time  so  far  devoted  to  the  elementary 
study  of  Solfeggio,  Dictation  and  Theory,  for  in 
any  case  it  will  be  necessary  to  pursue  them,  and  for 
a  long  time.  They  form  the  best  and  the  most  solid 
basis  of  all  musical  instruction ;  but  we  have  said  that 
it  becomes  necessary  thenceforth  for  us  to  form  a 
definite  aim,  to  know  what  we  wish  and  whither  we 
are  going,  for  "  an  education  without  a  definite  aim 
produces  a  character  without  force,"  as  Legouve  has 
said  excellently.  It  is  well  not  to  let  the  slightest 
hints  escape  you,  to  take  note  of  them,  to  compare 
them,  to  put  them  together,  and  finally  to  stop  with 
some  determined  object.  Upon  what  does  the  course 
of  a  river  depend?  Upon  the  first  stone  that  it  en- 
counters on  its  way.  What  is  it  that  decides  the 
course  of  a  whole  life?  Often  a  fortuitous  meeting, 
a  circumstance  of  futile  appearance,  a  word  heard  by 
chance.  Nothing  should  be  neglected. 

Here  it  is  as  though  we  were  at  a  railway  junction. 
Upon  the  line  that  we  shall  choose,  the  entire  con- 
tinuation of  the  route  will  depend.  Therefore  we 
cannot  reflect  too  maturely  nor  examine  the  matter 
too  minutely  before  making  a  choice  that  will  cer- 
tainly have  a  great  and  decisive  influence  upon  the 
future. 


[30] 


VII.  INDICATIONS  OF  SPECIAL  APTITUDES  AND 
OPINIONS  OF  GREAT  MEN  ON  Music 

Very  often,  at  this  age,  the  little  pupil  becomes 
enamoured  of  a  certain  instrument,  listens  to  it  with 
more  pleasure  than  to  any  other,  likes  to  look  at  it 
and  to  touch  it,  and  to  try  to  make  it  speak.  We  may 
then  put  the  question  to  him :  would  you  like  to  learn 
how  to  play  it?  And  even  the  reply  to  this  question 
should  often  be  interpreted  according  to  the  more  or 
less  communicative,  enthusiastic,  or  timid  character  of 
the  child.  If  we  think  from  some  way  by  which  he 
behaves  that  he  really  has  a  desire  for  it,  and  if  on 
the  other  hand  we  have  already  been  able  to  observe 
that  he  has  perseverance  in  his  ideas,  if,  finally,  his 
choice  has  not  fallen  upon  some  ridiculous  instrument 
such  as  the  Chapeau  Chinois,*  for  example,  there  is 
nothing  to  prevent  us  from  deciding,  in  principle,  to 
direct  him  at  first  with  a  view  to  the  study  of  that  in- 
strument rather  than  any  other.  This  does  not  mean 
to  say  that  we  must  immediately  go  and  buy  him  one, 
for  there  are  some  instruments  the  study  of  which  he 
must  not  undertake  until  he  has  got  his  growth;  but 
it  does  mean  to  say  that  from  this  time  forward  we 
can  map  out  a  plan  of  work  for  him,  preparing  him 
in  the  most  logical  and  favourable  way  for  the  mastery 
of  his  favourite  instrument. 

Certain  signs  may  give  us  reason  to  believe  that 

*  Chinese  Pavilion,  a  kind  of  sistrum  made  of  brass  plates  and 
bells,  used  only  in  military  music. 

[31] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

we  are  in  the  presence  of  a  composer's  organization; 
for  example,  if  the  child,  having  only  the  vaguest 
ideas  about  music,  is  tormented  with  a  desire  to  write, 
and  to  note  down  something  that  he  has  invented  or 
sincerely  believes  that  he  has  invented,  such  as  a  lit- 
tle melody  to  some  words,  or  a  dance  tune.  I  can 
mention  one,  who,  after  hearing  his  elder  sister  play 
the  first  sonatas  of  Mozart,  composed  (?)  a  Grande 
Sonate  (that  was  the  title),  dedicated  to  his  sister, 
which  had  only  thirteen  bars  all  told.  The  Allegro 
numbered  five:  the  first  movement,  made  up  of  four 
notes,  represented  the  first  motif  in  C;  the  second  in 
G,  with  the  word  expressive,  constituted  the  second 
motif,  after  which  a  very  thick  double  bar,  with  dots, 
clearly  indicated  that  the  first  repetition  was  fin- 
ished; the  second  began  with  some  scales,  having 
many  accidentals  scattered  at  random,  after  which 
returned  the  first  and  second  motifs,  both  in  C.  The 
Adagio  contained  only  three  chords,  all  false,  but 
quite  ample  in  intention,  and  ended  with  an  organ- 
point.  The  Finale,  evidently  unfinished,  was  in  six- 
eight  time,  and  was  peppered  with  notes,  quavers, 
semi-quavers,  and  demi-semi-quavers ;  there  Avas  no 
common  sense  in  any  of  it,  but  one  felt  that  it  was  in- 
tended to  go  very,  very  fast,  with  a  dizzying  rapidity ; 
it  had  seven  bars.  The  whole  thing  was  written  on 
a  sheet  of  small  letter  paper,  which  he  had  ruled  him- 
self, all  awry,  and  splashed  with  numerous  blots  of 
ink. 

To  any   one  ignorant   of  musical   education,  this 
would  have  been  considered  as  an  insignificant  child's 
[32] 


play,  a  simple  and  harmless  scrawl;  but  it  really 
showed  an  extraordinary  power  of  observation  and 
imitation :  the  first  piece  divided  into  two  repeats,  the 
second  motif  announced  in  the  key  of  the  dominant, 
and  then  in  the  principal  key ;  the  care  to  begin  the 
second  repeat  with  surprising  modulations  (  !),  the 
very  short  Adagio  with  its  solemn  organ  point ;  and 
the  Finale,  of  infinitely  greater  speed  than  the  rest, — 
all  this  revealed  an  instinct  for  form  that  was  abso- 
lutely stupefying,  for  here,  crudely  sketched,  as  if  to 
order,  was  exactly  the  plan  of  the  classic  Sonata  and 
Symphony  likewise.  This  child  has  become  a  com- 
poser of  talent,  although  somewhat  eccentric,  and 
even  obtained,  many  years  ago,  the  Grand  Prix  de 
Rome. 

However,  we  must  mistrust  a  singular  aberration 
in  certain  individuals  who  imagine  that  they  are  com- 
posing because  they  accumulate  notes,  clefs,  sharps 
and  flats  upon  music  paper  that  mean  nothing,  and 
who  take  a  great  pleasure  in  doing  this, — what  do  I 
say? — their  sole  pleasure.  This  becomes  an  obsession 
with  them,  a  haunting  occupation.  I  have  known  sev- 
eral of  these ;  with  the  last  one,  this  peculiar  condi- 
tion, which  is  certainly  unhealthy,  continued  until 
the  age  of  sixteen  or  seventeen  years,  when  I  lost 
sight  of  him.  He  refused  to  apply  himself  to  any 
studies,  musical  or  foreign  to  music,  and  spent  his  life 
in  the  library  of  our  Conservatoire  in  gazing  at  the 
most  complicated  scores,  of  which,  naturally  enough, 
he  could  understand  absolutely  nothing,  then,  go- 
ing home,  he  would  begin  afresh  with  a  gentle  perti- 
[33] 


nacity,  to  cover  sheets  upon  sheets  of  ruled  paper 
with  signs  resembling  those  he  had  just  seen,  signs 
that  offered  no  mutual  co-ordination,  and  devoid  of 
all  meaning.  He  seemed  to  be  intelligent  and  ex- 
pressed himself  very  well.  His  father  had  tried  in 
vain  to  make  him  learn  designing,  his  own  craft,  and 
then  the  violin,  but  he  would  not  listen  to  any  of  this, 
and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  come  as  a  purely  passive 
listener  to  my  class  in  harmony  and  continue  his  be- 
loved reading  in  the  library,  which  made  his  unhappy 
father  say :  "  It  is  very  necessary  that  I  should  make 
a  composer  of  him  since  I  can  make  nothing  else  of 
him."  This  reasoning  was  absurd.  I  have  seen  sev- 
eral other  examples  of  this  peculiar  monomania,  but 
in  a  lesser  degree ;  if  this  were  an  isolated  case,  I 
should  not  have  spoken  of  it. 

The  consequence  is  that  when  you  see  a  young  child 
manifest  this  irresistible  desire  to  write,  thus  fasci- 
nated by  music-paper,  you  must  not  jump  at  the  con- 
clusion that  he  is  exhibiting  the  organization  of  a 
composer ;  neither  must  you  throw  away  nor  tear  up 
his  crude  attempts,  but  show  them  to  some  experienced 
musician  to  learn  if  he  can  discover  in  them  any  sign 
that  reveals  a  marked  predisposition. 

There  are  also  some  who  improvise  for  hours  upon 
the  piano,  sometimes  even  without  ever  having 
learned  to  play,  and  who  take  a  very  great  pleasure 
in  it.  Means  should  be  found  to  get  some  artist  to 
hear  this,  one  who  is  endowed  with  good  judgment 
and  capable  of  appreciating  whether  this  is  simply  an 
incoherent,  fabric,  more  or  less  attractive,  or  whether 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

it  contains  the  trace  of  a  musical  idea  or  conduct  in 
the  development,  or  even  whether  these  so-called  im- 
provisations are  not  merely  simple  reminiscences,  or 
memories  of  things  heard,  in  which  case  they  would 
reveal  memory  and  the  faculty  of  imitation  rather 
than  the  gift  of  creating  new  forms. 

Perhaps  one  infallible  indication  is  the  instinctive 
preference  for  good  music,  and  the  dawn  of  that 
judgment  that  prevents  the  thought  of  applying  the 
epithet  "  pretty  "  to  the  overture  of  Don  Giovanni, 
or  that  of  "  beautiful  "  to  a  charming  Air  de  Ballet 
by  Leo  Delibes.  Musical  memory  is  also  a  good  thing, 
that  which  enables  you  to  retain  and  to  sing  in  tune 
and  time  a  melody  that  has  pleased  you.  But,  in 
reality,  it  is  far  from  being  always  the  case  that  pre- 
cursory signs  manifest  themselves  from  the  tenderest 
age.  Most  frequently,  the  child  simply  gives  proof, 
quite  early,  of  a  general  aptitude  for  music,  and  it 
is  in  the  course  of  his  studies,  and  instigated  by  them, 
that  the  desire  to  compose  is  developed  in  him,  de- 
noting that  there  is  reason  to  direct  his  instruction 
specially  towards  that  end. 

As  for  those  gentle  young  persons  who,  while  af- 
firming that  they  wish  to  compose,  wait  patiently  un- 
til their  studies  are  over  before  they  attempt  to  write, 
on  the  pretext  that  they  don't  know  how,  we  may  be 
certain  that  they  do  not  possess  the  divine  spark. 

Certain  children  find  means  during  their  solfeggio 

lessons,  or  while  taking  part  in  choruses,  to  show  a 

natural  feeling  for  good  phrasing,  which  leads  them 

to  sing  with  intelligence,  to  shade  well  and  to  take 

[35] 


breath  at  the  right  place.  With  regard  to  such,  there 
should  be  no  hesitation  in  letting  them  have  some 
veritable  singing-lessons  from  a  good  master,  and  in 
seeking  opportunities  for  them  to  sing  short  solos  at 
Church,  at  the  Temple,  at  Concerts,  or  in  informal 
musical  gatherings.  Whatever  may  be  their  future 
vocation,  they  will  always  be  glad  to  know  how  to 
sing;  but  it  is  imperative  to  suspend  immediately  all 
vocal  exercise,  singing  or  solfeggio,  as  soon  as  the 
first  signs  of  the  change  of  voice  appear.  We  will  re- 
turn to  this  in  the  proper  place. 

We  also  find  children  who  do  not  manifest  th<! 
slightest  aptitude.  Here  there  is  room  for  distinction. 

If  this  indifference  and  apathy  extend  over  all 
studies  and  are  not  peculiar  to  music,  we  must  regard 
it  merely  as  general  laziness,  and  try  to  find  for  music 
as  for  all  the  others,  a  stimulus  in  emulation,  promises 
of  reward,  or  threats  of  punishment.  Keep  from 
threats,  however,  as  much  as  possible,  for  the  use  of 
chastisement  is  a  very  sad  way  to  instil  the  love  of  art. 
I  have  sometimes  seen  brutal  parents  beat  a  child  un- 
mercifully because  he  refused  to  work,  and  then  com- 
pel him  to  sing  with  taste  in  the  midst  of  tears  and 
sobs.  I  have  followed  several  of  these  children.  They 
all  became  worthless.  So  you  must  not  beat  them,  but, 
when  the  laziness  is  general  and  not  confined  to  any 
one  thing,  you  must  not  yield  to  them,  either ;  apply- 
ing that  speech  of  Rollin's :  "  Education  is  a  gentle 
and  insinuating  mistress,  the  enemy  of  violence  and 
constraint,"  with  gentleness  and  firmness  you  must 
impose  upon  the  child  some  musical  task,  even  indif- 
[36] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

ferent  or  mechanical  (which  forms  an  exception) 
however  short,  be  it  only  half  an  hour  a  day,  among 
his  other  studies,  which,  moreover,  will  refresh  him 
in  spite  of  himself;  and  if  he  is  too  rebellious  to  do 
this  work  when  alone,  then  have  recourse  to  a  tutor  to 
make  him  do  it.  And  this  is  the  reason  why:  it  hap- 
pens very  frequently  with  natures  that  are  weak  and 
devoid  of  energy,  that  the  musical  aptitude  *  is  in 
some  measure  acleep  and  does  not  exhibit  itself  until 
much  later,  towards  18  or  20  years  of  age;  this  is 
particularly  frequent  with  young  persons  who  have 
worked  in  mathematics  or  the  exact  sciences ;  one  fine 
day,  they  wake  up  with  a  violent  desire  to  play  the 
piano  or  the  violin,  or  to  know  how  to  read  a  score, 
and  then,  if  no  one  has  known  enough  to  force  them 
lo  acquire  some  elementary  ideas  in  their  early  years* 
even  against  their  will,  they  are  very  unhappy  at  not 
being  able  to  satisfy  their  inclination.  To  acquire 
these,  they  make  the  most  fruitless  efforts,  with  poor 
results  or  none  at  all,  for  they  have  no  longer  the  nec- 
essary suppleness  of  mind,  having  passed  the  happy 
age  when  one  learns  languages  while  being  amused. 
They  deplore  their  laziness,  but  it  is  too  late.  And 
thus  one  would  have  done  them  a  kindness  by  exact- 
ing from  them  those  few  moments  of  daily  practice, 
even  passive,  I  repeat,  borne  with  weariness,  which 
would  now  suffice  them  as  a  basis  upon  which  they 
could  give  themselves  a  good  instruction  by  means  of 
intelligent  amateurs.  These  cases  seldom  occur  in 

*  I  have  not  to  concern  myself  with  the  others  ;  but  it  is  possi- 
ble that  it  is  the  same  with  all,  at  least  regarding  the  arts. 

[37] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Germany,  where  music  forms  part  of  the  education ; 
all  the  children  who  go  to  school  learn  to  sing,  both 
boys  and  girls  without  exception ;  each  class  begins 
with  a  chorus  celebrating  the  benefits  of  the  instruc- 
tion, or  the  respect  due  to  parents,  or  even  some 
patriotic  or  religious  subject  (what  an  education!), 
and  thus  all  the  little  scholars  are  little  musicians. 
Our  neighbours,  therefore,  happen  to  put  into  prac- 
tice a  principle  of  one  of  our  great  historians,  who 
was  also  a  great  moralist :  "  Music  brings  to  the  soul 
a  veritable  inward  culture,  and  is  part  of  the  educa- 
tion of  a  people"  (Guizot).  In  1538,  Luther  ex- 
pressed an  analogous  idea  in  other  terms :  "  One  can- 
not question,"  said  he,  "  that  music  contains  the  germ 
of  all  the  virtues ;  and  I  can  only  compare  those  whom 
music  does  not  touch  to  blocks  of  wood  or  stone. 
Youth  then  should  be  brought  up  in  the  practice  of 
this  divine  art." 

For  him,  who  also  said :  "  Music  governs  the  world, 
it  is  a  gift  of  God,  and  it  is  closely  allied  to  theology," 
it  is  certain  that  music  formed  an  integral  part  of  be- 
lief, his  admirable  Chorales  lead  us  to  believe  this, 
and  he  could  not  conceive  an  education  in  which  it 
would  not  have  a  large  share. 

Finally,  there  exists  a  last  category,  that  of  the 
children  who,  industrious  and  active  in  all  their  other 
studies,  have  an  invincible  repugnance  and  an  invol- 
untary and  irresistible  aversion  to  everything  in  the 
domain  of  music.  "  Education  should  bring  to  light 
the  ideal  of  the  individual,"  said  J.  P.  Richter,  who 
knew  what  he  was  saying.  Now,  for  these,  their  ideal 
[38] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

certainly  is  not  music.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  they 
have  another  one,  and  one  must  know  how  to  seek  for 
it,  to  discover  it  and  help  it  to  soar,  not  fatiguing  them 
more  than  is  necessary  with  studies  to  which  they  are 
not  adapted  and  which  will  never  lead  to  anything 
that  is  worth  while. 

There  is  quite  enough  bad  music  and  there  are 
quite  enough  bad  musicians,  and  so  there  is  nothing 
to  regret.  I  am  most  certainly  not  one  of  those  who 
wish  that  everybody  should  be  a  musician ;  on  the  con- 
trary, this  seems  to  me  one  of  the  faults  of  the  age. 
What  I  should  like,  and  this  is  not  at  all  the  same 
thing,  is  that  all  children,  even  those  who  show  no 
disposition  for  it,  with  the  exception  of  some  specially 
marked  cases  of  repugnance,  should  receive  sufficient 
material  musical  instruction,  to  enable  them  at  a  later 
period,  in  case  the  artistic  sentiment  should  declare 
itself,  to  find  a  foundation  prepared,  so  that  they 
should  not  have  to  begin  entirely  at  the  begin- 
ning, which  would  be  too  laborious  and  repellent  for 
them. 

Do  not  all  the  large  establishments  for  general  in- 
struction prudently  act  in  this  way,  by  inculcating  in 
the  child,  before  his  career  is  decided  upon,  elementary 
notions  touching  a  little  on  all  things,  several  of  which 
in  the  course  of  time  will  have  to  be  abandoned  as  be- 
ing of  no  use  to  him? 

I    should    add    that    those    absolutely    recalcitrant 
natures  of  which  we  have  spoken  last  are  excessively 
rare,   for  which  we  must   congratulate  ourselves,  if 
Shakespeare  is  to  be  believed : 
[39] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

The  man  that  hath  no  music  in  himself, 

Nor  is  not  moved  with  concord  of  sweet  sounds, 

Is  fit  for  treasons,  stratagems,  and  spoils  ; 

The  motions  of  his  spirit  are  dull  as  night 

And  his  affection  dark  as  Erebus: 

Let  no  such  man  be  trusted.* 

Even  if  we  make  allowance  for  poetical  exaggera- 
tion, and  admit  that  one  may  be  a  perfectly  honest 
man  without  the  love  of  music,  we  must  pity  those  to 
whom  the  intelligence  of  our  beautiful  language  is 
closed,  for  many  of  the  purest  and  most  elevated  en- 
joyments are  thereby  refused  to  them  forever. 

Putting  these  exceptions  aside,  let  us  return  to  that 
important  question,  from  which  we  have  wandered  a 
little,  what  direction  to  give  to  the  musical  studies  of 
each  individual  when  once  he  has  acquired  some  ele- 
ments of  solfeggio,  and  even  if  one  wishes,  of  the 
piano. 

If  he  manifests  any  special  taste  for  any  instru- 
ment, among  those  that  are  within  the  capacity  of  his 
age,  the  best  thing  is  to  let  him  follow  his  impulse, 
which  has  every  chance  of  being  good.  If,  on  the 
contrary,  his  choice  falls  upon  an  instrument  which 
it  would  be  better  for  him  not  to  attempt  till  later, 
profit  by  this  time  to  advance  the  general  instruction, 
preparing  meanwhile  the  paths  by  the  musical  studies 
which  will  be  marked  out  in  the  next  chapter. 

It  is  the  same  if,  attracted  by  the  prestige  of  the 
theatre  or  the  bait  of  a  lucrative  profession,  he  as- 
pires to  be  a  singer ;  we  should  mark  time  while  wait- 
*  Shakespeare,  The  Merchant  of  Venice,  Act  V.,  Scene  I. 
[40] 


ing  for  the  appearance  of  the  voice,  but  without  neg- 
lecting before  all  else  to  make  a  musician  of  him,  a 
thing  so  much  the  more  precious  because  it  is  so  rare 
in  the  world  of  singers.  Here,  however,  there  is  a  very 
interesting  exception  which  we  shall  reserve  for  Chap- 
ter III. 

If,  finally,  he  exhibits  a  very  marked  propensity 
for  composition,  it  is  never  too  early  to  start  him 
upon  the  complex  studies  of  a  composer  (for  they 
are  very  long  if  one  pleases).  What  is  essentially  de- 
sirable is  not  to  neglect  one  of  them,  and  thereby  be- 
come a  thorough  musician,  in  possession  of  the  tech- 
nique of  the  art  in  its  full  expanse. 

It  may  often  happen,  as  has  been  already  said,  that 
although  surrounded  with  the  wisest  precautions,  we 
have  chosen  a  road  aside  from  the  most  suitable  one, 
whether  because  appearances  were  deceitful  or  because 
we  interpreted  them  wrongly,  or  because  as  the  years 
passed  new  aptitudes  came  to  light.  In  this  case,  if 
the  individual  has  followed  the  general  plan  of  study 
which  is  the  exclusive  subject  of  this  work,  he  can 
easily  manage  to  apply  to  a  new  aim  the  greater  part 
of  the  knowledge  already  acquired  with  another  end 
in  view,  and  reduce  to  a  minimum  the  loss  of  time  oc- 
casioned by  that  fork  of  the  road. 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

VIII.  IMPORTANCE    OF    CONDUCTING    STUDIES    ME- 
THODICALLY AND  LOGICALLY 

To  gain  this  result,  the  great  point  is  always  to 
conduct  the  studies  methodically  and  logically  in  the 
normal  order  that  agrees  with  the  first  branch  that 
we  think  advisable  to  adopt ;  in  a  word,  don't  "  put 
the  cart  before  the  horse."  In  this  way  we  shall  con- 
stantly find  points  of  contact  between  this  branch  and 
others,  we  shall  never  have  learned  anything  really 
useless,  and  we  shall  be  able  to  walk  in  the  new  path 
without  having  to  go  back  too  far ;  while  with  studies 
pursued  in  a  desultory  manner  and  not  linked  together 
as  they  should  be,  we  may  squander  and  throw  the 
most  manifest  talents  into  confusion,  and  cause  tho 
loss  of  a  vocation. 

Several  years  ago,  Massenet,  then  Professor  of 
Composition  in  the  Conservatory,  sent  to  me  a  young 
provincial,  eighteen  years  of  age,  saying  something 
to  this  effect :  "  Here  is  a  boy  who  is  strongly  recom- 
mended to  me,  he  has  ideas  and  a  passion  for  compo 
sition,  but  as  he  has  never  studied  harmony,  he  is  as; 
ignorant  as  a  carp  in  the  art  of  writing;  I  think 
that  after  he  shall  have  studied  two  or  three  years 
with  you,  he  will  be  ripe  for  counterpoint  and  fugue 
with  me."  Naturally,  I  admitted  him  without  ex- 
amination, and  I  gave  him  for  Mentor,  as  is  the  cus- 
tom in  our  classes,  which  are  too  large  for  the  pro- 
fessor to  concern  himself  with  each  one  individually, 
the  oldest  and  the  most  serious  of  his  comrades,  not 
without  telling  him  by  whom  he  was  sent  to  me  and 
[42] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

the  importance  that  I  attached  to  his  being  carefully 
directed.  At  the  end  of  a  few  lessons,  the  latter,  very 
much  vexecj?  declared  to  me  that  it  wouldn't  do  at 
all,  he  coultl  not  possibly  make  him  understand.  I 
tried  in  my  turn,  and  I  discovered  what  was  lacking  in 
the  pupil ;  this  was  the  first  elements  of  solfeggio.  He 
did  not  even  know  how  to  tell  the  keys.  Heavens ! 
things  looked  grave.  I  then  managed  to  get  one  of 
my  colleagues,  professor  of  solfeggio,  to  admit  him 
into  his  class  as  a  listener,  for  he  was  long  past  the 
regulation  age  when  he  could  have  been  received  as 
a  pupil ;  there,  he  worked  steadily,  but  he  was  already 
thick-headed,  and  it  took  more  than  two  years  of  ef- 
fort, aided  by  private  lessons,  to  turn  him  into  a  pas- 
sable reader.  Now  then,  he  is  back  in  my  class,  still 
full  of  courage,  and  this  time  in  good  condition;  he 
can  now,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  at  last  be- 
gin his  special  studies  in  composition.  Everything 
was  going  well,  extremely  well,  and  he  was  giving  un- 
deniable proofs  of  intelligence  and  facility,  when  the 
period  of  military  service  arrived ;  his  regiment  was 
sent  to  garrison  in  a  little  isolated  spot;  no  theatre, 
no  concerts,  no  means  of  intellectual  development. 
When  he  returned  to  me  for  the  third  time,  three  }rears 
later,  he  had  lost  in  a  great  measure  the  benefit  of 
his  first  studies  in  harmony,  and,  after  several  fresh 
attempts,  we  were  forced  to  agree  with  one  accord 
that  it  was  really  too  late  to  dream  of  recovering 
henceforth  the  suppleness  of  mind  necessary  to  ac- 
quire all  the  knowledge  in  which  he  was  deficient,  that 
he  could  not  enter  that  career  before  an  age  when  it 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

ought  to  be  already  clearly  marked  out,  and  that 
finally,  after  having  expended  so  much  courage  and 
energy,  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  give  up  all 
hope  of  ever  becoming  a  composer  such  as  he  had 
dreamed  of  being.  Inconsolable,  but  unable  to  bring 
himself  to  the  complete  renunciation  of  the  art  which 
he  had  thought  to  have  made  the  aim  of  his  life,  the 
poor  boy  became  a  clarinettist !  and  as  he  had  not  be- 
gan to  study  that  instrument  until  late,  he  plays  it 
very  badly,  which  greatly  distresses  him,  for  he  has 
still  an  exquisite  taste. 

It  is  very  certain  that  if  his  parents,  who  now  de- 
plore their  blunder,  instead  of  having  opposed  the 
flight  of  his  genius,  (for  he  had  always  begged  them 
to  let  him  study  music)  had  only  consented  during 
his  early  years  to  let  him  have  some  solfeggio  les- 
sons and  to  study  music  as  an  amateur  according  to 
his  desire,  things  would  have  been  entirely  different. 
He  would  have  come  to  the  Conservatoire  at  the  re- 
quired time,  and  sufficiently  prepared  to  learn  har- 
mony, and  the  rest  would  have  gone  along  smoothly. 
Their  terror  at  his  aspirations  to  become  a  composer 
led  them  to  make  a  bad  clarinettist  of  him. 

This  example  may  be  instructively  accompanied  by 
an  anecdote  humourously  related  by  Berlioz. 

"  A  man,  a  rich  landowner,  deigned  to  present  to 
me  his  son,  aged  twenty-two  years,  who,  according  to 
his  own  confession,  was  still  unable  to  read  music. 

"  I  come  to  entreat  you,  Monsieur,"  he  said,  "  to 
be  good  enough  to  give  lessons  in  high  composition 
to  this  young  man,  who  will,  I  hope,  shortly  be  an 
[44] 


GENERAL    REMARKS 

honour  to  you.  His  first  idea  was  to  be  a  colonel,  but 
notwithstanding  the  eclat  of  military  glory,  that  of 
art  with  its  seductions  decided  him  positively ;  he  pre- 
fers to  make  himself  a  great  composer." 

"  Oh !  Monsieur  what  a  mistake !  If  you  but  knew 
all  the  vexations  of  this  career!  The  great  composers 
all  devour  each  other ;  there  are  so  many  of  them ! 
Moreover,  I  am  not  willing  to  charge  my- 
self with  conducting  him  to  the  goal  of  his  noble 
ambition.  In  my  opinion  it  would  be  better  for  him 
to  follow  his  first  idea  and  to  enlist  in  the  regiment 
which  you  have  just  mentioned  to  me." 

"What  regiment?" 

"  Parbleu!  the  regiment  of  colonels." 

"  Monsieur,  your  pleasantry  is  greatly  misplaced ; 
I  will  importune  you  no  longer.  Happily  you  are  not 
the  only  master  and  my  son  can  make  himself  a  great 
composer  without  your  assistance.  We  have  the  hon- 
our to  salute  you."  * 

A  great  depth  of  truth  is  hidden  under  this  amus- 
ing form.  Persons  who  imagine  that  they  can  become 
great  composers  at  will  by  desiring  glory  and  taking 
a  few  lessons  from  a  great  master  are  legion.  They 
are  ignorant  of  the  patient  study  to  which  it  is  nec- 
essary to  submit  even  with  the  best  natural  endow- 
ments before  attaining  the  level  of  an  honest  medi- 
ocrity; above  all,  they  are  ignorant  of  the  utility  of 
the  methodical  spirit  so  indispensable  to  every  form 
of  education,  and,  perhaps,  artistic  education  more 
than  all. 

*  Hector  Berlioz,  Les  Grotesques  de  la  Musique. 
'    [45] 


PART   II 

THE    STUDY   OF   INSTRUMENTS 


I.  PROPER  AGE  TO  BEGIN  THE  STUDY  OF  AN  INSTRU- 
MENT, CHOICE  OF  A  TEACHER,  AND  HINTS  TO 
PARENTS 

Although  realizing  that  I  hold  a  contrary  opinion 
to  the  greater  number  of  teachers  of  special  instru- 
ments, I  shall  never  advise  allowing  a  child,  that  is 
not  to  be  exhibited  as  a  phenomenon  at  shows  and  cir- 
cuses, to  study  any  musical  instrument  whatever 
before  the  age  of  six  at  the  earliest.  It  seems  to  me 
a  most  barbarous  practice,  and  I  will  not  be  a  party 
to  it.  Solfeggio,  if  you  like;  an  instrument,  never. 
This  does  not  prevent  allowing  little  children  to  amuse 
themselves  by  drumming  upon  the  piano  if  such  is 
their  pleasure  (and  this  is  something  that  should  be 
forbidden  later),  but  to  impose  any  study  upon  them 
seems  to  me  monstrous,  and,  moreover,  absolutely  use- 
less. 

There  is  always  here,  slight  as  it  may  be,  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  physical  fatigue,  of  force  expended 
in  an  abnormal  way,  detrimental  to  growth,  and  also 
a  concentration  of  the  mind  which  they  ought  to  be 
spared  since  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary  and  might 
[49] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

be  hurtful  to  them.  Before  making  artists,  you  must 
make  men  and  women,  that  is  to  say  just  now,  little 
boys  and  little  girls,  who  are  well  constituted,  sound 
and  capable  of  supporting  the  notable  increase  of 
physical  and  mental  efforts  that  will  inevitably  be  im- 
posed upon  their  general  education,  without  the  latter 
thereby  either  suffering  or  being  weakened. — I  insist 
upon  this  point — by  the  addition  of  an  artistic  edu- 
cation, musical  or  otherwise,  together  with  the  differ- 
ent studies  involved. 

They  have  quite  enough  to  do  up  to  this  time  if 
they  learn  to  read,  to  write  a  little,  to  count  upon  their 
little  fingers  and  to  commit  to  memory  such  short 
fables  or  little  verses  as  are  within  their  infantile 
reach.  To  demand  more  of  them  would  be  bad  judg- 
ment. It  would  be  compromising. 

This  being  said,  let  us  see  first  in  a  general  way 
what  is  the  best  means  of  producing  a  good  instru- 
mentalist. 

When  a  young  artist  is  about  to  make  his  choice 
of  an  instrument,  or  when  we  intend  to  help  him  in 
this  choice,  it  is  advisable  to  take  into  account  not  only 
his  tastes  and  sympathies,  but  also  his  physical  apti- 
tudes, and  still  other  considerations,  such  as  the 
amount  of  time  it  is  possible  for  him  to  devote  every 
day  to  his  musical  studies ;  his  definite  purpose,  which 
may  quite  as  likely  be  that  of  acquiring  simply  what 
is  called  an  "  amateur  talent,"  aiming  at  the  virtuosity 
of  an  artist;  his  social  position,  which  may  be  of  a 
kind  to  favour  his  studies,  or  to  impede  them,  etc., 
etc.  All  this  is  very  delicate  and  also  very  important, 
[50] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

and  should  not  be  left  to  the  chance  of  an  unreflect- 
ing impulse;  by  doing  the  latter  we  expose  ourselves 
to  mistakes  that  we  shall  have  cause  to  regret  later, 
when  there  will  be  no  time  to  retrace  our  steps. 

The  aim  of  this  chapter  is  precisely  to  caution  the 
pupil,  or  his  natural  advisers,  parents  or  teachers, 
against  the  temptations  and  errors  of  this  kind,  by 
making  them  acquainted  in  advance  and  with  a  cer- 
tain exactness,  with  the  special  exigences  of  such  or 
such  a  study. 

It  is  clear  that  he  who  desires  to  cultivate  the  art 
merely  for  his  pleasure,  or  as  a  luxury,  may  very  well 
allow  himself  to  be  guided  solely  by  his  inclinations 
or  predilections  for  one  instrument  or  another;  the 
worst  that  can  happen  to  him,  is  that  he  may  attain 
perfection,  which  is  really  not  a  necessity  for  him. 
But  it  is  entirely  different  with  him  who  intends  to 
make  art  his  career,  for  he  is  compelled  by  that  very 
fact  to  take  into  consideration  first  of  all  the  natural 
qualities  with  which  he  is  gifted  and  which  he  can 
use  to  the  best  advantage.  In  a  word,  everybody 
should  know  exactly  what  he  wants  and  what  he  can 
do,  and  this  is  not  an  insurmountable  difficulty,  since 
it  is  merely  necessary  to  know,  before  embarking  upon 
the  study  of  any  instrument,  how  well  it  suits  him,  the 
amount  of  work  that  it  will  impose  upon  him,  and  the 
result  that  he  can  confidently  hope  for. 

When  once  the  choice  of  the  instrument  is  made, 
it  remains  to  find  out  what  is  the  best  and  most  profit- 
able way  to  undertake  and  pursue  the  study  of  it. 
Now,  since  a  number  of  fundamental  principles  may 
[51] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

be  applied  without  distinction  to  the  study  of  all  in- 
struments, we  shall  first  endeavour  to  collect  them  here, 
in  order  to  avoid  repetition,  reserving  for  the  sub- 
divisions of  this  chapter  the  treatment  of  whatever  is 
peculiar  to  each  family  of  instruments,  or  to  each  of 
its  members  considered  separately. 

1. — The  first  thing  to  take  note  of,  is  that  the  study 
of  an  instrument,  whatever  it  may  be,  should  be  be- 
gun very  quietly,  serenely  and  without  any  violence, 
proceeding  by  very  short  periods,  short  enough  never 
to  allow  of  fatigue.  I  state  this  more  precisely,  so 
as  to  make  myself  thoroughly  understood :  the  advent 
of  fatigue  must  not  be  taken  as  a  sign  for  the  momen- 
tary cessation  of  work ;  this  would  be  too  late ;  you 
must  have  a  presentiment  of  it  and  know  when  to  stop 
even  before  it  makes  itself  felt. — This  is  of  capital 
importance. 

Then,  little  by  little,  very  gradually  indeed,  one 
will  increase  the  duration  of  these  periods  of  study, 
but  always  carefully  avoiding  prolonging  them  until 
the  moment  when  the  appearance  of  lassitude  is  to  be 
feared. 

It  is  not  until  after  one  is  fully  disciplined  in  the 
practice  of  one's  instrument  that  one  may  venture  to 
brave  fatigue,  making  an  extra  effort  from  time  to 
time;  and  then,  frequently,  this  mode  of  proceeding, 
exceptionally  employed,  may  result  in  rapid  progress. 
But  in  elementary  studies,  it  is  of  no  value,  and  is  the 
worst  of  all  methods.  Work  should  be  regular  and 
moderate. 

[52] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

Hence  arises  the  necessity  of  breaking  it  up  and 
distributing  it  wisely  among  the  different  periods  of 
the  day. 

All  the  instructions  that  we  shall  give  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages — study  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  half  an 
hour,  or  an  hour — remain  subordinate  therefore  to 
this  invariable  rule,  that  during  the  first  months,  at 
least,  work  must  never  be  pushed  to  the  point  of  fa- 
tigue, but  the  student  must  stop  in  time,  rest  and 
begin  afresh. 

2. — Acquire  at  once  the  habit  of  studying  slowly, 
never  giving  way  to  the  pleasure  of  flinging  off  scales 
or  rapid  passages;  by  so  doing,  you  only  learn  to 
jumble.  Always  listen  to  yourself  and  try  to  get  the 
best  quality  of  tone. 

Never  work,  even  for  a  few  minutes,  without  think- 
ing of  what  you  are  doing,  the  end  to  be  attained ;  if 
the  attention  has  wandered,  if  you  find  yourself  think- 
ing of  something  else,  which  is  another  indication  of 
fatigue,  it  is  better  to  break  off  and  begin  again  later. 
Even  for  the  most  elementary  work,  that  of  scales,  for 
example,  this  condition  is  indispensable;  work  done 
with  a  wandering  mind  is  of  no  profit;  it  is  a  waste 
of  time. 

3. — While  working  at  anything  whatsoever,  ele- 
mentary or  more  advanced  exercises,  etudes,  pieces,  as 
also  when  reading,  the  time  should  always  be  marked 
in  some  way ;  the  singer  or  solfeggist  should  beat  time 
with  the  right  hand,  as  the  conductor  of  an  orchestra 
[53] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

does  with  his  baton,  without  the  slightest  violence  or 
stiffness,  but  with  ease;  the  player  of  a  wind  or 
stringed  instrument,  by  an  imperceptible  movement 
of  the  toes ;  and  the  pianist  or  harpist,  who  can  spare 
the  use  of  neither  foot  nor  hand,  by  counting  the  time 
or  its  subdivisions  in  a  low  tone.  The  singer  should 
not  mark  the  time  with  his  foot,  for  this  always  pro- 
duces a  slight  trembling  in  the  voice.  Neither  should 
the  pianist,  because  then  he  would  acquire  the  habit 
of  beating  it  on  the  pedals,  which  would  produce  the 
most  disastrous  effects. 

4. — Even  in  the  primary  studies,  you  should  be 
careful  never  to  play  anything  but  good  music;  at, 
least,  music  that  is  healthful  and  well  written, 
"  Healthy  men  are  not  made  by  bringing  children  up 
on  sweets.  The  nourishment  of  the  mind  ought  to  br 
as  simple  and  substantial  as  that  of  the  body.  The. 
masters  have  taken  care  to  supply  us  abundantly  with 
the  former.  Let  us  keep  to  it."  * 

For  certain  instruments,  the  piano  and  stringed  in 
struments,  this  judicious  advice  will  be  very  easy  to 
follow.  For  others,  such  as  the  wood-wind  and  brass, 
it  will  be  infinitely  more  difficult,  their  repertory  be- 
ing unfortunately  so  very  much  smaller,  and  some- 
what mediocre  in  quality. 

5. — In  the  study  of  every  instrument,  there  are  two 

things  to  work  for:  technique,  or  mechanical  study, 

which  varies  with  each  instrument ;  and  style,  which 

*  Schumann. 

[54] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

is  the  same  for  all.  At  the  beginning,  it  is  always 
necessary  to  give  the  precedence  to  the  mechanism, 
although  it  is  the  least  pleasurable.  Afterwards,  the 
two  may  be  developed  side  by  side ;  you  can  even  ac- 
custom yourself  to  shade  with  intelligence  and  thus 
render  those  exercises  that  permit  of  such  treatment 
a  little  more  interesting.  The  most  agreeable  mo- 
ment of  study,  beyond  any  doubt,  is  that  when  we 
have  become  sufficiently  master  of  our  mechanism  to 
be  able  to  give  all  our  attention  to  style, — the  art  of 
phrasing  well,  of  shading  and  of  punctuating;  but 
even  for  this,  long  studies  in  technique  are  indispen- 
sable, and  we  must  have  the  courage  to  submit  to  them. 

6. — Each  instrument  should  jealously  preserve  its 
characteristic  timbre  (quality  of  tone) :  a  flutist, 
whose  tone  makes  us  think  of  a  clarinet,  a  trumpet- 
player  whose  timbre  approaches  that  of  the  horn,  are 
both  equally  in  the  wrong. 

7.- — From  the  very  beginning  of  study,  faults  and 
good  qualities  will.be  revealed.  The  wise  teacher, 
while  correcting  the  faults  and  endeavouring  to  get 
rid  of  them,  pays  even  more  attention  to  developing 
the  good  qualities  and  making  the  most  of  them. 
Progress  is  quicker  by  this  means. 

8. — No  matter  how  far  advanced  in  study,  never 

try   to   excite   astonishment   by   tours   de   force   and 

difficulties  vanquished ;  that  must  be  left  for  clowns. 

We  should  always  consider  mechanism  as  a  means ;  the 

[55] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

end  is  to  interest  and  charm.  It  is  far  better  to  play 
pieces  below  our  present  ability,  and  play  them  in 
time,  correctly,  intelligently  and  with  the  expression 
that  belongs  to  them,  than  to  attack  compositions  that 
are  too  difficult  and  interpret  them  in  a  mediocre  man- 
ner. 

9. — In  addition  to  solfeggio,  indispensable  to 
everyone,  a  few  ideas  of  harmony  will  never  do  any 
harm.  For  the  pianist  and  the  harpist,  this  is  even 
insufficient ;  a  complete  knowledge  is  necessary. 

10. — All  serious  teachers  agree  in  recognizing  that 
a  practical  knowledge  of  the  piano,  without  any  at- 
tempt at  virtuosity,  is  a  great  advantage  to  every 
singer  and  instrumentalist,  and  facilitates  his  special 
studies. 

11. — 'We  should  always  devote  a  few  moments  every 
day  to  reading,  as  soon  as  it  becomes  possible,  re- 
quiring ourselves  to  read  more  slowly  than  the  move- 
ment indicated,  to  play  strictly  in  time,  and  never 
to  stop  nor  to  go  back  over  the  ground,  even  when  we 
have  made  a  mistake. 

12. — Ensemble  music  is  a  very  useful  and  profit- 
able exercise,  perhaps  the  best  of  all  for  forming  the 
taste  and  developing  the  style,  but  not  until  we  have 
become  a  perfect  master  of  our  instrument  and  are 
capable  of  comprehending  the  enormous  artistic  in- 
terest belonging  to  this  study. 

This  also  applies  to  orchestral  music;  it  is  the 
[56] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

veritable  school  of  application.  We  should  therefore 
eagerly  seek  every  opportunity  of  taking  part  in  an 
orchestral  symphony,  just  as  soon  as  we  feel  qualified 
to  do  so  intelligently. 

Such  are  the  general  principles:  let  us  now  study 
their  application. 

The  choice  of  a  teacher,  particularly  at  the  begin- 
ning, is  a  very  difficult  and  delicate  matter,  the  im- 
portance of  which  can  escape  nobody,  and  in  which  we 
cannot  be  too  circumspect.  If  too  severe,  he  re- 
pels the  pupil;  if  too  indulgent,  he  encourages  lazi- 
ness. If  too  old,  he  appears  as  a  dotard;  if  too 
young,  he  lacks  experience,  that  is  certain.  Really, 
it  is  very  difficult. 

It  is  necessary  to  strike  a  happy  medium:  a  man 
still  young,  rather  gay  than  morose,  which  does  not 
in  the  least  prevent  him  from  being  serious,  and  prac- 
tical, knowing  how  to  present  things,  even  if  they 
are  a  little  tiresome,  under  their  happiest  aspect, 
should,  the  amount  of  talent  being  equal,  attract  the 
preference  of  the  parents.  If  to  these  qualities  he 
adds  that  of  being  fond  of  children,  if  he  does  not 
disdain  to  descend  from  his  pedestal  every  now  and 
then  to  relate,  as  a  reward,  some  little  curious  and  edi- 
fying story  (such  as  Lully,  the  scullion  and  his  little 
violinists,  Mozart  and  Marie  Antoinette,  Orpheus 
charming  the  wild  beasts,  etc.,  etc.),  that  would  be 
perfect. 

"  What ! "  some  one  will  ask,  "  the  History  of 
Music  already  ?  "  And,  why  not,  forsooth,  if  one  can 
5  [57] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

thus  teach  something  without  its  being  suspected,  that 
is  so  much  gain ;  and  awakens  taste  ? 

The  characteristic  sign  of  a  very  good  teacher  i* 
knowing  how  to  make  himself  loved  by  his  pupils,  be> 
cause  while  they  love  him,  lie  makes  them  love  every- 
thing relating  to  his  teaching.  The  lesson  hour 
should  be  an  hour  of  pleasure,  and  when  we  see  the 
child  awaiting  its  return  with  joyous  impatience,  it 
is  a  proof  that  we  have  given  him  a  good  master. 

Whenever  there  is  a  chance  of  getting  a  woman 
for  the  elementary  instruction  of  young  children,  1 
am  for  the  woman ;  she  unquestionably  possesses  more 
than  we  do,  by  intuition,  gentleness,  persuasion,  and. 
above  all,  patience,  which  are  the  principal  qualitiec 
to  be  sought  in  a  teacher,  always  granting  equal  artis 
tic  value,  in  all  that  concerns  primary  instruction, 
Now,  for  solfeggio,  the  piano  and  the  harp,  that  i,- 
to  say  for  most  of  the  studies  that  are  within  the  ca 
pacity  of  the  child,  there  are  just  as  many  women 
teachers  as  men ;  we  also  find  them  for  the  violin  and 
violoncello.  In  any  case  of  hesitation,  I  should  ad 
vise  giving  the  preference  to  a  woman-teacher,  but 
always  with  the  same  reservations,  that  is  to  say  thai 
she  must  not  be  too  strict,  nor  too  lax,  nor  too  old, 
nor  too  young,  and  this  naturally  for  the  same  rea- 
sons, which  here  assume  even  greater  importance, 
for  these  defects  are  exaggerated  in  the  female  sex. 
It  seems  to  me  useless  to  dwell  here  upon  this  sub- 
ject to  which  I  shall  have  occasion  to  return  when  it 
becomes  a  question  of  higher  education,  whether  of 
singing  or  of  instruments. 

[58] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

Now,  I  have  something  that  is  very  hard  to  say ; 
for,  to  my  great  regret,  I  am  going  to  hurt  some  pro- 
foundly respectable  persons  of  the  best  intentions ;  I 
arm-  myself  with  all  my  courage  to  write  it :  parents 
are  always  the  very  worst  teachers,  and  should  refrain 
as  much  as  possible  from  giving  lessons  to  their  own 
children. 

There,  it  is  said;  and  cruel  as  it  may  be,  I  will  not 
retract  a  single  word;  I  will  even  add  to  it:  even  if 
they  are  excellent  musicians,  even  if  they  make  teach- 
ing their  profession,  parents  are  the  most  detestable 
teachers  when  it  comes  to  their  own  children,  but  the 
latter  only,  because,  inversely,  for  the  very  reason 
that  they  have  children  of  their  own,  that  they  love 
and  understand  them,  they  can  be  perfect  teachers 
for  those  of  others. 

Here  I  feel  the  need  of  taking  refuge  behind  the 
unimpeachable  authority  of  an  unquestioned  master 
in  the  art  of  education,  that  of  Legouve:  "  A  father," 
he  says,  "  has  two  irremediable  defects  for  a  master ; 
he  is  an  intermittent  master  and  an  amateur  master. 
Fathers,  even  when  lettered  or  learned,  are 
not  good  masters."  *  A  mother  is  still  less  so,  which 
goes  without  saying. 

This  is  what  happens  about  six  times  a  week  in  a 
household  where  the  father  has  undertaken  the  musical 
education  of  his  daughter: 

" Papa,  I  cannot  take  my  lesson  just  now,  be- 
cause Mamma  is  going  to  take  me  to  the  dressmaker's 
to  see  her  dress  tried  on." 

*  Ernest  Legouv^,  Les  P&res  et  Us  Enfants. 
[59] 


MUSICAL,    EDUCATION 

"  But,  my  child,  I  have  stayed  at  home  on  purpose ; 
later,  I  shall  have  no  time." 

"  See,  dear,"  interposes  the  mother,  "  it  is  such  a 
lovely  day,  you  would  not  want  to  deprive  the  child  of 
a  walk.  You  have  nothing  to  do  this  evening,  you 
can  give  her  her  little  lesson  after  dinner." 

"  Very  well,  if  you  think  that  will  be  better.  Go 
along." 

In  the  evening,  after  dinner,  an  old  friend  comes 
to  see  you,  or  the  child  is  sleepy  ...  in  short, 
the  lesson  is  put  off  till  to-morrow ;  and  to-morrow,  the 
same  thing  happens  again. 

It  is  not  the  same  when  the  appointment  is  made 
with  a  teacher,  whether  he  comes  to  your  house,  or 
you  go  to  his.  Here,  a  mutual  obligation  has  been 
contracted  for,  and  on  both  sides  punctuality  and 
regularity  in  the  lessons  is  maintained. 

Then  people  are  always  inclined  to  treat  their  own 
children  differently  from  the  children  of  others ;  they 
always  find  the  rules  too  complicated,  the  methods  too 
long,  and  the  elementary  exercises  too  developed ;  they 
always  want  to  simplify  or  abridge  the  work,  to  judge 
them  more  from  their  hearts  than  from  their  reason ; 
or,  again,  if  they  are  on  their  guard,  they  mistrust 
their  tenderness,  and  become  unduly  exacting  and  ir- 
ritating towards  the  pupil ;  and  in  any  case  they 
always  have  the  fault  of  expecting  a  too  rapid 
progress  from  those  who  are  not  really  profiting; 
for,  as  that  deep  and  witty  observer  Legouve  has 
said,  agreeing  in  this  with  J.  J.  Rousseau  and  many 
other  great  moralists :  "  The  greatest  fault  in  the  mat- 
[60] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

ter  of  education  is  the  desire  to  go  fast. 
Education  should  not  be  a  fever.     An  ordinary  mas- 
ter is  the  best  of  guides,  precisely  because  he  is  neither 
too  hurried,  nor  to  anxious  to  attain  his  end."  * 

There  are  still  other  reasons:  a  salaried  master 
comes  to  give  a  lesson ;  the  pupil  has  worked  badly  or 
insufficiently ;  the  master  is  dissatisfied,  he  bestows  a 
reprimand  and  demands  that  such  a  thing  shall  not 
happen  again ;  then  it  is  over,  the  reproof  has  been 
given.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  the  mother  who  has 
given  the  lesson,  she  talks  about  it  all  day,  even  when 
out  walking,  and  she  complains  about  it  at  table  to 
the  father  so  that  he  may  scold  in  his  turn,  until  the 
child,  set  on  edge,  begins  to  cry  if  he  is  nervous,  to 
reply  impertinently  if  he  is  badly  brought  up;  then 
they  send  him  to  bed  without  kissing  him  good-night, 
and  he  cherishes  a  deep  hatred  for  music  lessons,  and 
for  music  itself,  the  original  cause  of  his  unhappi- 
ness. 

Therefore,  there  is  great  danger  when  parents 
venture  to  be  teachers  of  their  own  children ;  and  up 
to  a  certain  point,  one  must  admit  that  this  danger  ex- 
tends to  intimate  friends,  those  who  come  to  the  house 
often,  who  play  with  the  child  and  take  him  on  their 
knees;  they  are  subject,  in  a  less  degree,  to  the  same 
weaknesses  as  the  parents,  and  the  child  does  not 
regard  them  as  seriously  as  he  does  a  stranger  whom 
he  only  knows  as  his  teacher. 

Parents  have  another  role  of  equal  importance,  two 
other  roles,  if  you  prefer;  they  should  place  them- 
*  Ernest  Legouv£,  Les  P&res  et  les  Enfants. 

[61] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Selves  above  and  below  the  professor.  Above,  because 
it  is  they  who  select  him  and  give  him  authority  over 
the  pupil,  and  also  by  the  watchfulness  that  they 
should  always  exert  over  the  lesson.  Below,  by  hold- 
ing themselves  always  ready  to  serve  him  as  kindly 
helpers  and  tutors,  if  he  expresses  the  desire,  for  he 
may  perfectly  well  prefer  not  to  be  aided  at  all.  In 
any  case,  they  should  be  present  at  the  lessons,  at  least 
frequently,  so  as  to  assure  themselves  of  the  exact  ful- 
filment of  the  material  part  of  the  master's  prescrip- 
tions,— the  time  for  study,  the  division  of  the  work, 
etc.  If  the  latter  should  request  them  to  act  as  tutors, 
they  should  take  minute  notes  and  preside  over  the 
studies  conscientiously,  reminding  the  pupil  of  all 
that  has  been  ordered  and  exacting  its  execution  with- 
out any  curtailment  or  omission,  and  above  all  without 
modifying  or  adding  anything  of  their  own  invention, 
the  indispensable  condition  upon  which  a  teacher  can 
assume  and  maintain  his  responsibility.  I  consider  it 
unnecessary  to  dwell  upon  this  point. 

Several  times  I  have  seen  mothers,  with  essentially 
praiseworthy  intentions,  remembering  that  they  had 
received  a  good  musical  education  when  they  were 
young  girls,  set  themselves  to  work  again  when  the 
eldest  of  their  children  have  reached  the  age  of  seven 
or  eight,  so  as  to  be  able  to  start  their  musical  edu- 
cation themselves.  Every  time  that  they  have  set 
themselves  up  as  teachers,  the  result  has  been  de- 
plorable. When,  on  the  other  hand,  they  have  had  the 
good  sense  to  act  only  as  tutors,  even  when  occasion- 
ally the  professor's  ability  was  inferior  to  their  own, 
[62] 


everything  went  along  smoothly.  This  experience, 
which  I  have  often  been  able  to  repeat,  seems  to  me  ab- 
solutely conclusive. 

Parents  should  also  make  a  rule  never  to  discuss  to- 
gether, or  with  the  master,  anything  with  regard  to 
his  ideas,  methods,  or  requirements,  or  any  question 
touching  the  course  of  study  in  the  presence  of  the 
pupil.  The  latter  (do  not  forget  that  we  arc  only 
concerning  ourselves  here  with  the  studies  of  very 
small  children),  should  consider  his  master  as  in- 
fallible and  impeccable,  and  blindly  accept  all  that  he 
says,  as  if  it  were  Gospel  truth.  If  we  lessen  this  con- 
fidence, if  we  throw  confusion  into  the  child's  mind, 
we  compromise  the  result  fatally.  Therefore,  if  AVC 
have  some  remark  to  communicate  or  some  observation 
to  make  to  the  teacher,  or  some  wish  to  express  to  him, 
it  must  be  done  privately,  before  or  after  the  lesson, 
and  without  the  knowledge  of  the  child.  This  should 
also  be  observed,  with  even  more  reason,  upon  the  ex- 
change of  ideas  that  the  parents  have  and  should  have 
between  themselves  on  the  question  of  the  teacher's 
value,  of  his  talent,  and  of  his  manner  of  teaching, 
for  everything  that  tends  to  weaken  the  blind  confi- 
dence that  the  child  ought  to  have  in  him,  everything 
that  may  make  him  suspect  that  any  one  could  dif- 
fer with  him  and  not  approve  of  him  in  every 
respect  and  not  consider  him  as  an  oracle  (and  chil- 
dren have  an  unheard-of  finesse,  in  such  matters, 
whenever  it  is  a  question  of  criticising  their  precep- 
tors), will  result  in  depriving  the  teacher  of  all  or  a 
part  of  the  prestige  to  which,  with  regard  to  his 
[63] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

young  pupil,  he  owes  his  greatest  strength  and  his 
greatest  means  of  action. 

If  we  have  an^  serious  reason  to  complain,  or  to  be 
dissatisfied,  we  must  know  how  to  set  ourselves  reso- 
lutely to  change  things,  however  much  it  is  to  be 
regretted,  for  with  every  change  we  must  first  expect 
a  period  of  suspension  in  the  progress:  it  requires  at 
least  several  days  for  the  pupil  to  familiarize  him- 
self with  a  new  face,  with  a  new  manner  of  expression, 
often  with  very  different  terms  for  saying  the  same 
thing;  moreover,  there  are  not  two  professors,  even 
of  equal  ability,  who  hold  identical  ideas  and  have  the 
same  methods.  All  this  has  a  tendency  to  bring 
about  a  temporary  disturbance  in  the  work,  at  the 
very  least  a  hesitation,  uneasiness  and  embarrass- 
ment. It  would  be  better  to  be  able  to  avoid  all  that. 

The  most  desirable  thing  of  all,  at  this  initial  pe- 
riod of  musical  instruction,  is  to  know  where  we  can 
put  our  hand  at  once  upon  a  teacher  capable  of  carry- 
ing the  child  along  quickly,  through  these  primary 
and  secondary  studies,  so  that  we  shall  not  have  to  run 
after  a  new  master  until  the  time  comes  for  the  higher 
studies,  if  indeed  one  should  be  needed  then.  It  would 
be  ideal  to  have  only  one  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end ;  but,  for  certain  instruments,  notably  the  wind  in- 
struments, this  ideal  cannot  be  realized ;  but  this  is 
not  the  case  with  all. 

It  is  therefore  very  right  and  proper  that  parents 

tvho  are  intelligent  and  solicitous  of  the  future  should 

toncern  themselves  before  everything  else  with  this 

^natter  of  capital  importance :  the  selection  at  the  very 

[64] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

beginning  of  a  teacher  who,  being  sufficiently  devoted 
to  his  work  to  accept  the  ungrateful  task  of  teaching 
the  first  elements,  should  have  enough  ability  to  take 
the  child  as  far  as  possible  in  the  study  of  the  chosen 
instrument. 

When  once  this  question  is  settled,  things  must 
naturally  be  allowed  to  go  on  for  a  certain  time,  for 
several  months  or  several  years,  without  however  let- 
ting these  lessons  be  an  exclusive  occupation,  but  sup- 
plying them,  according  to  the  principles  already  laid 
down,  with  diversions,  by  means  of  studies  uncon- 
nected with  music,  as  well  as  reserving  some  moments 
for  the  complete  repose  of  the  mind. 

But  we  should  eagerly  seize  all  occasions  to  let  the 
pupil  hear,  and  if  possible  to  let  him  see  at  close  range, 
the  great  virtuosi,  or  merely  able  artists  of  the  instru- 
ment that  forms  the  object  of  his  studies.  This  should 
serve  to  widen  his  horizon,  excite  his  ambition,  and  en- 
courage him  to  work.  At  the  same  time,  if  he  is  suf- 
ficiently advanced  for  this,  we  can  induce  him  to  learn 
or  read  in  advance  some  of  the  pieces  he  will  hear  exe- 
cuted; by  taking  note  of  their  degree  of  difficulty,  he 
will  better  appreciate  the  worth  of  the  artists.  But 
that  which  must  be  sought  after  above  everything  else, 
is  that  under  these  circumstances  his  attention  shall 
be  directed  far  more  to  the  qualities  of  style,  phrasing 
and  good  rendering,  than  to  those  of  pure  technique, 
notwithstanding  the  real  importance  of  the  latter; 
and  that  he  shall  thoroughly  comprehend  that  if  it  is 
precious  to  possess  a  fine  mechanism  it  is  only  for  the 
sake  of  being  able  to  place  it  at  the  service  of  an  ele- 
[65] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

vated  style  and  a  beautiful  interpretation  of  the  works 
of  the  masters ;  on  the  contrary,  he  must  turn  his  at- 
tention from  tours  de  force  and  acrobatic  feats  that 
have  no  other  merit  than  vanquished  difficulties, 
which  constitute  the  most  paltry  side  of  art. 

II.  TONE,  RHYTHM  AND  TIME 

Whatever  instrument  is  concerned,  we  may  say 
with  the  greatest  certainty  that  from  the  instant  the 
first  elementary  knowledge  is  acquired,  what  should 
dominate  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  studies  is 
the  earnest  effort  to  create  a  beautiful  timbre,  and 
constantly  to  improve  it.  Many  artists  make  them- 
selves masters  of  every  kind  of  technical  difficulty, 
possess  a  perfect  mechanism,  and  are  able  to  phrase 
and  shade  with  art  and  intelligence,  without  being 
able  to  exercise  upon  the  public  that  captivating  and 
all-embracing  charm  that  is  the  result  of  a  beautiful 
sonority.  Therefore  we  will  point  out,  as  far  as  words 
will  serve,  the  dominant  character  of  the  timbre  that 
should  preferably  be  sought  in  ever}7  instrument. 

What  is  meant  exactly  by  having  a  beautiful  tone. 
if  the  tone  that  is  considered  beautiful  in  any  one  in- 
strument is  not  the  same  for  all?  To  have  a  beau- 
tiful tone  is  to  produce  upon  an  instrument  the  dif- 
ferent tones  of  which  the  scale  is  composed  in  the 
manner  that  is  best  calculated  to  show  off  the  instru- 
ment to  its  greatest  advantage.  To  have  a  good  tone, 
is  then  to  have  an  excellent  quality  of  tone,  a  tone 
pure,  clear,  full,  vibrant  and  of  great  brilliancy ;  a 
[66] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

precious  faculty,  independent  of  the  talent  of  execu- 
tion, properly  so-called,  and  which,  in  certain  indi- 
viduals, above  all,  the  musicians  who  play  wind- 
instruments,  is  not  always  the  fruit  of  study,  but  the 
result  of  a  natural  disposition,  and  principally  of  a 
particular  conformation  of  the  mouth.* 

The  contrary  negative  quality  was  once  very 
humourously  expressed  by  the  words  little  tone,  on 
which  subject  it  is  appropriate  to  recall  an  anecdote 
very  well-known  among  orchestra-musicians,  which 
Berlioz  has  very  cleverly  narrated  under  the  title  of 
Sensibility  and  Indifference — A  Funeral  Oration  in 
Three  Syllables.  I  borrow  this  story  from  him : 
;'  Cherubini  was  walking  in  the  foyer  of  the  Concert 
Hall  of  the  Conservatoire  during  an  intermission. 
The  musicians  about  him  seemed  sad:  they  had  just 
heard  of  the  death  of  their  comrade  Brod,  a  remark- 
able virtuoso  and  first  oboe  at  the  Opera  One  of 
them,  approaching  the  old  master,  said: 

"  Eh  bien !  Monsieur  Cherubini,  nous  avons  done 
perdu  ce  pauvre  Brod ! " 

"Eh!  quoi?" 

(Le  musicien  elevant  la  voix),  "  Brod,  notre  cama- 
rade  Brod ! " 

"Eh  bien?" 

"  II  est  mort." 

"  Euh !  petit  son !  "  f 

*  George  Kastner,  an  eminent  musicographer,  member  of  the 
Institute  :  Par&mioloyie  muswale  de  la  lanyue  fran^aise  (1850) — out. 
of  print. 

f  Berlioz,  Les  Grotesques  de  la  musique. 

[67] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

People  also  say  a  bad  tone,  which  is  aven  worse 
than  a  little  tone.  On  any  instrument  whatever,  a 
cottony,  weak,  flabby  tone,  and  one  that  does  not 
carry,  is  always  a  bad  tone ;  the  same  is  true  of  a  tone 
that  is  raucous,  strident,  hollow,  or  in  a  word  disa- 
greeable in  any  sense;  as  also  any  tone  that  per- 
verts the  characteristic  timbre  of  the  instrument  that 
produces  it  and  seems  to  be  an  imitation  of  some 
other.  The  truly  beautiful  tone  has  the  breath  of 
health;  it  is  frank,  sincere,  robust,  energetic  without 
being  rough,  sweet  and  soft  without  weakness,  and 
always  frankly  characteristic,  that  is  to  say,  without 
leaving  the  slightest  doubt,  for  every  one  with  a  deli- 
cate and  experienced  ear,  as  to  the  instrument  by 
which  it  is  emitted.  If  therefore,  on  hearing  an  in- 
strument played,  we  find  it  an  impossibility  clearly  to 
recognize  and  name  it,  the  instrumentalist  has  played 
bad  notes;  this  proves  that  his  timbre  is  not  frankly 
characteristic,  and  is  lacking  in  sincerity. 

Whenever  one  speaks  of  a  beautiful  timbre,  of  a 
beautiful  sonority,  of  a  good  quality  of  tone,  this  is 
what  must  be  understood.  Beauty  is  not  the  same  for 
all ;  that  of  a  dog  does  not  consist  in  having  a  beak, 
and  an  elephant  with  wings  would  be  as  ridiculous  as 
a  bird  with  four  feet.  It  is  the  same  with  instruments. 
A  violin  can,  in  certain  notes,  particularly  by  means 
of  harmonics,  produce  a  certain  illusion  of  the  flute; 
with  the  sourdine,  it  can  sometimes  recall  the  oboe. 
Incidentally,  such  effects  may  be  employed,  but  we 
must  not  make  a  habit  of  this  and  believe  that  this  is 
what  is  called  the  beautiful  quality  of  violin  tone. 
[68] 


It  is  especially  bj  listening  to  the  great  artists  that 
we  can  come  to  understand  thoroughly  what  a  beau- 
tiful timbre  is,  and  the  enormous  prestige  it  gives  to 
talent;  and  it  is  above  all  by  trying  to  imitate  them 
that  we  ourselves  manage  to  attain  that  quality  that 
exceeds  all  others,  and  which  nothing  can  replace.  It 
must  not  be  denied  that  upon  certain  instruments,  a 
beautiful  timbre  often  takes  long  to  acquire,  and  is, 
moreover,  difficult;  but  when  once  it  is  found,  it  is 
never  lost. 

When  he  arrives  at  this  point,  the  young  artist 
ought  to  have  such  a  love  of  his  instrument,  as  to  be- 
lieve implicitly  that  it  is  the  most  beautiful  of  all ;  and 
he  will  truly  have  reason  to  think  thus,  and  he  ought 
to  be  encouraged  in  his  conviction,  for  in  reality  there 
is  not  a  single  instrument  that  is  not  superior  in  some 
respects  to  all  the  others ;  it  is  this  very  thing  that  he 
ought  to  see  and  try  to  put  in  evidence.  Such  an  at- 
titude of  mind  is  excellent,  and  is  more  favourable 
than  anything  else  to  the  blossoming  of  the  great 
talent  of  the  virtuoso. 

Another  important  matter  of  attention  should  be 
rhythm,  and  this  also  from  the  very  beginning  to  the 
end  of  the  studies,  for  a  tottering  rhythm  gives  the 
hearer  a  kind  of  discomfort,  which  he  cannot  always 
account  for,  but  which  deprives  him  of  a  great  part 
of  his  pleasure.  "  Play  in  time,"  said  Schumann, 
"  the  playing  of  many  virtuosi  resembles  the  stagger- 
ing of  a  drunken  man."  I  will  add  to  this  a  personal 
observation  which  everybody  can  verify:  it  is  that 
those  irritating  persons,  who  have  that  detestable 
[69] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

mania  when  walking  and  talking  of  stopping  every 
five  or  six  steps  to  make  their  argument  sink  deeper 
into  the  mind  of  their  interlocutor,  and  at  need  hold- 
ing the  victim  by  the  button  of  his  coat,  are  always 
devoid  of  the  rhythmic  sense.  As  for  these,  we  can 
quickly  get  rid  of  them  by  going  another  way,  or  by 
jumping  into  a  carriage,  but  it  is  much  more  difficult 
to  escape  from  a  musician  who  is  determined  to  play 
you  his  favourite  piece,  and  if  he  does  not  play  it  in 
time,  he  subjects  you  to  a  veritable  torment.  Inde- 
pendently of  all  other  more  artistic  considerations, 
we  may  say  that  to  play  in  time  is  the  politeness  of 
music,  just  as  to  speak  intelligibly  and  to  write 
legibly  are  the- acts  of  a  good  education.  These  com- 
.parisons  seem  to  me  quite  just,  for  all  music  played 
in  bad  rhythm  thereby  becomes  unintelligible,  or  at 
least  exacts  from  the  listener  a  .mental  tension  thai 
rapidly  becomes  painful  and  fatiguing. 

A  piece  of  music,  no  matter  what  it  is,  should  stand 
plumb  as  a  building,  and  architects  are  not  in  the 
habit  of  often  taking  for  models  the  Leaning  Tower 
of  Pisa  or  those  of  Bologna,  which  are  not  for  a  mo- 
ment interesting  except  as  curiosities.  Rhythm  is  the 
breaking  up  of  musical  time  into  parts  more  or  less 
long  or  short,  but  strictly  proportional;  time  is  the 
absolute  equality,  in  duration,  of  all  the  notes  of 
the  same  value.  We  then  can  play  in  time  while  giv- 
ing the  rhythm  in  an  incomplete  manner ;  but  we  can- 
not produce  correct  rhythm  without  playing  perfectly 
in  time. 

It  is  seldom  that  the  feeling  for  time  is  not  in- 
[70] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

stinctive;  for  really,  almost  everybody  walks  nearly 
in  time ;  but  when  this  exact  feeling  does  not  exist 
naturally  and  in  a  sufficient  degree,  it  can  be  devel- 
oped by  the  exercise  of  a  well  measured  walk,  by 
counting  the  steps  as  in  a  military  march:  one,  two; 
or  one,  two,  three,  four;  also  by  the  dance.  (It  may 
be  remarked,  in  passing,  that  that  pretended  rhyth- 
mic difficulty,  which  frightens  beginners  at  the  piano 
and  which  is  called  three  two  or  two  three  is  solved 
unconsciously  by  the  least  accomplished  dancers  in  the 
two-step  Valse,  simply  because  no  one  ever  dreamed 
of  telling  them  that  it  was  a  difficulty ;  while  the  or- 
chestra is  playing  in  three  time,  they  are  dancing  in 
two ;  for  this,  it  is  sufficient  for  them  to  fix  their  at- 
tention only  upon  the  first  beat  of  the  music,  which  at 
each  return,  coincides  with  their  own  first  beat.) 

We  can  also  cultivate  this  faculty  by  means  of  a 
prudent  use  of  the  metronome,  which  is  nothing  more 
or  less  than  a  clock  beating  the  fractions  of  seconds 
with  a  mathematical  and  inflexible  regularity.  This 
inflexibility,  however,  which  constitutes  its  whole 
value,  becomes  a  fault  if  we  abuse  this  mechanical  de- 
vice, and  communicates  an  unpleasing  rigidity  to  the 
pupil.  This  is  why,  although  recommending  its 
usage  in  certain  cases,  we  believe  that  its  employ 
should  be  limited. 

First  of  all,  we  should  never  make  use  of  it  if  we 
possess  instinctively  the  feeling  for  time,  and  the 
equality  of  time  intervals,  which  happens  ninety-nine 
times  out  of  a  hundred.  It  should  be  reserved  for 
those  exceptional  cases  where  the  pupil  truly  has 
[71] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

trouble  in  accomplishing  this  mental  operation,  and 
where  the  ordinary  means  of  beating  time,  and  count- 
ing, have  failed.  Then,  and  then  only,  he  should  use 
it,  but  by  applying  it  solely  to  scales,  exercises  and 
purely  mechanical  studies,  which  under  these  circum- 
stances, should  engross  the  greatest  part  of  the  time 
consecrated  to  study.  With  regard  to  all  pieces  in 
which  qualities  of  style,  even  summary,  are  to  be  dis- 
played, it  is  imperative  to  abstain  from  it  completely, 
excepting,  be  it  clearly  understood,  in  passages  of 
dexterity,  which,  from  the  standpoint  of  execution, 
may  be  likened  to  simple  studies.  Under  these  condi- 
tions it  may  be  used  with  profit.  But  this  is  not  the 
true  application  of  the  metronome.  Above  all,  its  ob- 
ject is  to  determine,  with  a  precision  quite  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  conventional  musical  terms,  the  move- 
ment, the  exact  speed  that  belongs  to  a  piece  of  music, 
according  to  the  intention  of  the  composer.  "  To 
drag  or  hurry  the  time  are  equal  faults."  *  How- 
ever, if  in  doubt,  it  would  be  better  to  take  a  move- 
ment too  slowly ;  but  the  best  of  all  would  be  to  take 
a  movement  correctly,  upon  which  even  musicians  of 
highest  standing  can  hesitate  or  differ  in  opinion,  a 
fact  which  often  occurs,  and  is  partly  the  cause  of 
the  differences  in  interpretation  of  the  same  work  by 
various  conductors.  The  metronome  settles  the  ques- 
tion when  the  composer  has  taken  the  pains  to  indi- 
cate the  formula  himself,  which  many  contemporary 
composers  wisely  do.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  im- 
portant to  place  a  merely  relative  confidence  in  the 
*  Schumann. 

[72] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

metronomic  instructions  applied  to  works  anterior  to 
the  invention  of  the  metronome  and  its  vulgarisation, 
for  such  indications  can  only  be  the  work  of  an  edi- 
tor, or  proof-reader,  and  therefore  have  no  authority. 
Now,  from  the  researches  of  one  of  my  colleagues,* 
it  is  clearly  shown  that  although  the  first  idea  of  a 
chronometer  applicable  to  music  dates  from  the  end 
of  the  Seventeenth  Century,  it  was  not  until  1816 
that  the  actual  metronome,  the  inventor  of  which  was 
Maelzel,  made  its  official  appearance,  and  could  have 
been  practically  adopted.  With  regard  to  metronomic 
signs  therefore,  only  those  must  be  considered  sure 
and  certain  that  apply  to  works  after  this  date;  the 
others,  if  they  are  not  simply  fanciful,  may  relate  to 
some  apparatus  of  the  same  species,  long  since  fallen 
into  disuse,  and  whose  scale,  now  unknown,  may  have 
differed  as  much  from  the  metronome  of  our  time  as 
the  thermometer  of  Celsius,  Reaumur  and  Fahrenheit 
differ  from  one  another. 

A  care  for  firmness  in  the  rhythm,  like  the  effort 
towards  a  beautiful  sonority,  which,  properly  speak- 
ing, have  nothing  to  do  either  with  technique  or  style, 
although  they  are  indispensable  auxiliaries  to  both, 
should  be  constantly  present  in  the  mind  of  the  young 
virtuoso,  who,  moreover,  if  he  is  provided  with  a  cer- 
tain dose  of  artistic  sentiment,  will  not  be  slow  to  ap- 
preciate its  value  and  incomparable  importance. 

Therefore,  after  a  certain  number  of  years,  which 
varies  quite  as  much  in  accordance  with  the  nature  of 

*  Paul  Rougnon,  Dictionnaire  musical  des  locutions  ttrang&res, 
snlt'i  (Tune  jfitude  sur  le  metronome. 

6  [73] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  instrument  as  the  aptitude  of  the  pupil,  the 
amount  of  time  devoted  to  work  every  day,  and  the 
ability  of  the  teacher,  the  period  for  the  higher  or  fin- 
ishing studies  will  arrive. 

Here  many  things  will  change.  The  unity  of  the 
instruction,  so  desirable  in  the  beginning,  has  now  lost 
its  preponderant  utility ;  if  we  can  still  keep  the  first 
teacher,  he  should  be  kept ;  but  if  he  has  become 
insufficient,  there  would  be  no  objection  to  taking  one 
of  a  higher  class ;  indeed  this  would  often  even  prove 
an  advantage  by  initiating  the  pupil  into  new  meth- 
ods of  execution,  showing  him  another  manner  of  re- 
garding interpretation,  and  making  him  realize  the 
differences  that  can  exist  between  two  neighbouring 
schools. 

The  essential  thing  at  present  is  to  have  to  deal 
with  a  militant-virtuoso  in  the  full  activity  of  his 
powers,  and  the  vigour  of  his  talent,  and  the  more 
brilliant  an  executant  he  is,  the  better  he  will  be  as 
a  master,  for  what  will  be  required  of  him  will  be  to 
give  explanations  far  less  than  to  furnish  examples ; 
his  teaching  will  consist  especially  in  plaving  for  his 
pupil,  rarely  entire  pieces,  but  very  frequently  com- 
plete passages,  a  song,  phrase,  or  a  difficult  passage, 
the  beautiful  expression,  elevation  of  style,  or  bold- 
ness and  perfection  of  execution  of  which  the  pupil 
will  immediately  try  to  reproduce;  but  this  instruc- 
tion will  be  incomplete  unless,  at  the  same  time,  his 
aim  is  to  elevate  the  student's  musical  sentiment,  in- 
culcating a?sthetical  ideas  and  inspiring  him  with  the 
love  of  the  beautiful.  It  is  for  this  reason,  having  ar- 
1  74.] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

rived  at  this  point,  that  it  has  become  essential  to  ap- 
proach only  an  artist  of  great  worth,  one  of  those 
who  know  how  to  reveal  the  thought  of  the  composer, 
by  means  of  their  own  powerful  interpretation,  and 
thus  make  themselves  veritable  collaborateurs  of  gen- 
ius.— Otherwise,  it  would  be  better  not  to  leave  the  first 
teacher. 

III.  QUALIFICATIONS  OF  A  TEACHER  FOR  ADVANCED 
PUPILS,  READING  AND  ENSEMBLE-PLAYING 

With  regard  to  this  finishing  master,  whether  he  be 
young  or  old,  a  man  or  a  woman,  of  a  character  more 
or  less  pleasing,  that  is  a  matter  of  absolute  indiffer- 
ence, provided  he  is  a  great  artist  as  well  as  a  virtuoso 
of  the  first  order. 

If  we  have  the  opportunity  of  coming  across  one 
of  these  complete  artists,  and  if  we  can  obtain  regular 
lessons  from  him,  it  would  be  best  to  stop  there  and 
not  seek  any  other  direction  in  the  future.  But  this 
is  not  always  possible,  for  such  natures  are  scarce  and 
are  found  more  frequently  among  those  great  wander- 
ing virtuosi,  who,  like  comets,  make  only  rare  appear- 
ances of  short  duration  and  then  fly  to  other  skies,  not 
caring  in  the  matter  of  instruction  to  give  anything 
more  than  a  few  fugitive  and  superficial  counsels. 
No  matter  how  brief  these  counsels  may  be,  we  should 
gather  them  religiously  and  endeavour  to  apply  them 
and  turn  them  to  advantage,  and  then  await  the  pas- 
sage of  another  meteor,  for  changes,  even  though  fre- 
quent, are  no  longer  to  be  dreaded,  as  in  the  element- 
[75] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

ary  studies;  for  pupils  of  a  supple  nature  and  quick 
intelligence,  it  is  even  a  great  element  of  progress, 
during  the  period  of  the  higher  studies,  to  see  the  same 
things  thus  presented  under  various  aspects. 

In  the  great  centres,  however,  it  often  happens  that 
there  are  to  be  found  artists  who  are  permanent,  or 
rarely  away,  and  who,  possessing  high  attainments, 
consent  more  willingly  to  put  the  finishing  touch  to 
the  accomplishments  of  ardent  pupils  who  are  al- 
ready prepared  for  the  advanced  studies  of  virtuoso- 
esthetics. 

The  young  virtuoso  should  be  reared  in  ideas  of 
eclecticism.  While  holding  preferences,  which  is  now 
his  right  and  his  duty,  he  should  not  become  the  vas- 
sal of  a  certain  manner,  nor  a  style  that  is  always  the 
same,  and  with  stronger  reason,  the  study  of  a  single 
composer, — an  error  somewhat  frequent  in  a  certain 
class  of  amateurs.  He  should  have  studied  and  should 
understand  the  works  of  every  school,  admire  what 
they  have  to  offer  of  the  Beautiful,  and  know  how  to 
bring  it  out  and  place  it  in  relief  in  his  execution  of  it. 

An  original  and  graceful  mind  will  know  how  to 
impress  a  special  mark  of  distinction  upon  the  smallest 
things;  while  identifying  himself  with  the  intimate 
thought  of  the  composer,  he  will  preserve  his  own  in- 
dividuality, and  the  fusion  of  these  two  characters  will 
often  give  rise  to  effects  of  which  the  composer  him- 
self never  dreamed. 

It  is  all  this  that  constitutes  the  genius  of  inter- 
pretation, the  most  beautiful  thing,  after  that  of  pro- 
duction, that  can  exist.  To  make  oneself  in  this  way 
[76] 


THE    STUDY    OF    JNSTRUMENTS 

thus,  whilst  relegating  to  the  background  all  thought 
of  personal  success,  the  collaborator  of  the  composer 
and  the  necessary  bridge  between  him  and  the  audi- 
ence, constitutes  the  highest  conception  of  the  mis- 
sion of  an  inspired  virtuoso. 

"  Perhaps  Genius  alone  can  comprehend  Genius !  " 
Chopin  frequently  said,  meaning  certainly  by  this 
that  a  work  conceived  by  a  genius  demands  inter- 
pretation by  a  genius  also, — a  strong  thought  which 
we  find  again  in  George  Sand,  under  a  somewhat  kin- 
dred form :  "  The  divine  mystery  of  an  artist's 
thought  reveals  itself  only  to  great  sympathies," 
without  being  greatly  astonished  at  such  similar 
views  being  held  by  the  genial  musician-poet  and  the 
eminent  writer.  And  it  is  among  these  enthusiastic 
artists  whose  sympathetic  natures  thus  reveal  to  them 
the  sacred  mystery  of  the  composer's  thought  that 
you  must  seek  the  guide  who  will  initiate  you  into 
the  deepest  beauties  of  great  interpretation,  that 
ideal  professor  whose  counsels  are  always  elevated 
and  philosophical,  and  who  will  know  how  to  open 
your  soul  to  the  supreme  joys  of  the  artistic  admira- 
tion,— contemplation  and  revelation  of  the  great  mas- 
terpieces. For,  let  there  be  no  mistake,  when  once  by 
the  patient  study  of  mechanical  means,  we  have  suc- 
ceeded in  breaking  away  from  the  rising  above  all 
difficulties,  and  considering  them  as  a  quantite  neg- 
ligeable,  interpretation  appears  as  the  purest  of  all 
pleasures,  one  of  the  most  intoxicating  of  all  blisses. 

I  have  already  remarked  that  there  are  two  things 
to  work  for  in  the  study  of  an  instrument, — technique 
[77] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

and  style.  I  believe  now  it  would  be  better  to  say  that 
there  are  four :  technique,  style,  reading,  and  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  memory.  To  the  first  two  we  need  not 
return.  The  art  of  reading  well  at  sight,  is,  in  gen- 
eral, acquired  easily  enough,  upon  all  homophonous 
instruments  (that  is  to  say  those  from  which  only 
one  sound  is  heard  at  a  time),  by  means  of  the  regu- 
lar daily  practice  of  half  an  hour  or  an  hour.  For 
the  organ,  the  piano  and  the  harp,  which  always  utter 
several  sounds  simultaneously  and  have  in  conse- 
quence a  very  great  number  to  be  read,  the  difficulty 
increases  proportionately.  Therefore  we  shall  return 
more  particularly  to  this  when  speaking  of  these  in- 
struments. With  regard  to  the  others,  only  three 
recommendations  are  necessary :  always  choose  pieces 
that  are  sufficiently  easy  and  simple  of  execution  to 
enable  you  to  read  them  without  stumbling;  more- 
over, the  professor  should  pick  them  out ;  always  take 
the  movement  slower  than  indicated  and  maintain  it 
by  beating  time  with  the  foot,  or  counting  in  an  un- 
dertone, according  to  the  instrument ;  read  along 
without  ever  stopping,  no  matter  what  happens.  If 
you  have  really  read  very  badly,  if  you  have  made 
too  bad  a  mistake,  carefully  examine  the  passages 
that  have  presented  such  difficulties,  and  begin  again 
a  second  time,  never  more  than  that.  It  is  very  good 
to  read  with  an  accompaniment ;  this  is  an  exercise 
which  two  pupils  can  practice  jointly,  which  makes  it 
more  attractive,  but  only  on  condition  that  they  im- 
pose upon  themselves  the  absolute  law  of  abstaining 
from  the  least  moment  of  halt.  No  one  is  a  good 
[78] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

reader  till  he  is  able  not  only  to  read  correctly,  but 
when  he  knows  how  to  give  the  spirit  and  the  senti- 
ment that  belong  to  the  work  that  is  being  read,  as 
well  as  if  it  had  previously  been  studied.  It  goes 
without  saying  that  the  reading  at  sight  qf  certain 
works  of  great  virtuosity  remains  inaccessible  even 
to  the  ablest,  no  matter  what  any  one  says  about  it ; 
nobody  can  pretend  to  read  at  sight  an  Etude  of 
Paganini,  or  a  Rhapsodic  of  Liszt. 

Every  instrumentalist,  to  be  thorough,  should  be 
able  to  take  his  part  in  a  concerted  work  and  in  an  or- 
chestra ;  and  since  he  must  play  here  in  quite  a  differ- 
ent manner  from  that  of  a  soloist,  a  new  study  is 
necessitated,  which,  however,  is  quite  easy,  in  compari- 
son with  that  of  the  instrument  itself,  but  is  none  the 
less  a  special  and  perfectly  distinct  study.  There  are 
persons  who  can  play  a,  solo  on  the  violin,  flute,  or 
oboe  quite  decently,  yet  who  find  themselves  entirely 
out  of  their  element  when  it  comes  to  plunging  into 
an  ensemble.  Here  the  ruling  qualification  is  self- 
abnegation  ;  knowing  how  to  contribute  one's  exact 
share,  and  this  at  every  moment  and  on  every  note, 
for  the  effect  of  the  whole,  without  endeavouring  to 
attract  attention  to  oneself  individually ;  to  know  how 
to  be  nothing  but  a  useful  citizen  in  this  little  model 
Republic,  which  the  orchestra  really  is ;  to  know  how 
to  maintain  well  one's  place,  and  nothing  but  one's 
place;  to  know  how  to  apply  to  this  all  the  technical 
skill  at  one's  disposal ;  this  is  a  calm  and  serene  pleas- 
ure, a  veritable  satisfaction  to  the  conscience. 

In  Chamber-music,  which  is  only  the  microcosm  of 
[79] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  orchestra,  an  orchestra  reduced  to  its  simplest  ex- 
pression, and  of  which  the  String  Quartet  is  the 
purest  and  highest  manifestation,  each  one  preserves 
a  greater  individuality,  and  at  times  can  afford  scope 
for  a  certain  spontaneity  which  is  not  misplaced  but  is 
indeed  essentially  opportune.  It  is  he  who  has  the 
floor;  the  others  accompany  him  by  adopting  his 
opinions  or  by  shaking  their  heads,  by  approving 
or  opposing  him.  Next,  it  will  be  another's  turn, 
the  roles  will  find  themselves  inverted:  then  the  dis- 
cussion closes  in,  becomes  more  animated,  and  may 
even  degenerate  into  a  dispute.  The  Quartet  is  a  per- 
petual conversation,  a  dialogue  full  of  wit,  in  which 
each  of  the  interlocutors  should  get  inside  the  skin  of 
his  character,  as  a  consummate  comedian  does.  Can 
you  understand  the  interest  that  the  study  of  such  a 
style  presents,  in  which  only  musicians  of  the  first  or- 
der have  dared  write,  on  account  of  the  profound1 
thought,  the  knowledge  and  the  spirit  of  appropri- 
ateness that  are  necessary?  Now,  it  is  in  this  samr 
order  of  ideas  that  are  also  conceived  all  the  great 
works  of  Chamber-music,  also  called  concerted  music, 
the  Duos  and  Sonatas  for  the  piano  and  violin,  or 
violoncello,  the  Trios  for  these  three  instruments 
united,  the  Quartets  for  piano,  violin,  viola  and  vio- 
loncello, the  Quintets;  and  others  in  which  partici- 
pate the  wind  instruments,  flute,  oboe,  clarinet,  horn, 
and  bassoon,  each,  while  contributing  to  the  general 
effect,  having  its  word  to  say,  its  personality  to  pre- 
serve. 

B»t  to  give  oneself  up  to  such  delights,  it  will  be 
[80] 


perceived  that  one  must  be  ri vetted  to  one's  instru- 
ment as  a  buffalo  hunter  is  fastened  upon  his  horse, 
making  only  one  with  him,  fear  nothing,  and  be  able 
to  concentrate  thought  exclusively  upon  questions  of 
interpretation. 

This  study  therefore  complements  the  instrumental 
studies,  and  it  is  with  this  that  we  will  end  this  rapid 
general  view,  before  passing  to  what  concerns  each 
instrument  considered  separately. 

However,  we  should  observe  that  if  what  precedes 
concerns  all  the  instruments,  that  does  not  mean  to 
say  that  everything,  excepting  the  fundamental  and 
elementary  precepts,  can  be  applied  exactly  and 
equally  to  each  one  of  them.  We  have  just  now  com- 
pared the  orchestra  to  a  sort  of  little  musical  Repub- 
lic; now,  in  this  imaginary  Republic,  as  in  all  others, 
all  the  citizens  are  far  from  being  equal  sharers, 
equality  is  but  a  vain  word.  If  it  is  easy  for  a  violin- 
ist, or  a  violoncellist,  to  push  to  the  furthest  extreme 
the  studies  in  style  that  we  have  just  described,  it  is 
thanks  to  the  incalculable  number  of  masterpieces 
with  which  the  great  masters  of  all  the  epochs  and  of 
all  the  Schools  (the  German  School  more  than  any 
other)  have  endowed  the  library  of  stringed  instru- 
ments, which  no  instrument  can  ever  exhaust. — The 
difficulty  becomes  already  much  greater  for  the  wood- 
wind instruments,  whose  musical  literature,  with  a 
few  very  brilliant  but  too  rare  exceptions,  is,  alas ! 
most  restricted.  They  are  able,  nevertheless,  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  execution  of  Chamber  music  in  a  cer- 
tain number  of  beautiful  and  great  works,  but  the 
[81] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

opportunity  does  not  present  itsolf  often. — But  when 
we  come  to  the  brass,  there  is  nothing,  and  we  truly 
ask  how  can  these  unhappy  disinherited  ones  ever 
form  their  taste  and  acquire  any  skill  in  the  art  of 
shading.  No  honourable  repertory  exists  for  them, 
they  are  condemned  by  the  force  of  circumstances  to 
revolve  perpetually  in  a  circle  of  ineptitudes,  and 
when  they  come  for  the  first  time  to  take  their  part 
in  an  orchestra,  it  is  also  the  first  time  that  they  make 
music. 

It  would  not  be  possible  then  for  these  to  put  all 
our  principles  into  practice.  They  can  supply  them 
by  frequenting  good  concerts,  and  still  better  by  the 
supplementary  study  of  some  other  instrument  (their 
own  occupying  but  little  time  each  day)  which  will 
permit  them  to  familiarize  themselves  with  the  high 
ideals  of  style  and  interpretation,  the  noble  side  of  art. 
This  initiation,  which  for  others  would  be  too  super- 
ficial, would  be  sufficient  for  thenij  when  one  considers 
that  their  part  in  the  orchestra,  notwithstanding  its 
importance,  exacts  less  cunning  and  personality  than 
that  of  the  artist  belonging  to  the  other  groups, 
which  up  to  a  certain  point  restores  the  equilibrium. 

An  excellent  thing,  which  greatly  aids  the  study  of 
any  instrument  whatsoever,  is  the  practice  of  teach- 
ing. One  learns  much  by  teaching  others  what 
one  has  recently  learned,  and  by  being  forced  to 
demonstrate  it  by  means  of  examples.  It  is  then  good 
advice  to  give  young  artists,  already  somewhat  ad- 
vanced, in  telling  them  to  try  to  procure  a  few  little 
beginners,  so  as  to  serve  their  apprenticeship  in  teach- 
[82] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

ing.  This  counsel  is  above  all  addressed,  let  it  be  un- 
derstood, to  those  who  are  destined  for  an  artist's  pro- 
fession, and  who  will  be,  in  consequence,  so  much  the 
better  professors  the  sooner  they  have  commenced  to 
prepare  themselves  for  it ;  but  it  can  be  followed  with 
equal  advantage  by  the  simple  dilettante,  who,  apart 
from  the  progress  that  will  result  from  it  for  him- 
self, will  have  the  satisfaction  of  doing  good  about 
him  by  giving  gratuitous  lessons  to  young  children 
who  have  not  the  means  of  paying  for  them.  To  say 
that  he  would  be  the  most  desirable  and  ideal  professor 
for  them  would  be  a  contradiction  of  all  that  we  have 
already  said,  since  he  will  necessarily  lack  experience, 
at  least  at  first ;  but  by  taking  great  care  and  seeking 
the  aid  of  his  own  professor,  as  well  as  being  very  con- 
scientious, he  can  often  inculcate  healthful  elementary 
ideas.  To  this  we  shall  return  elsewhere. 

Another  point  to  be  considered  as  indispensable, 
is  that  of  accustoming  oneself  to  play  in  public  at  an 
early  age.  But  we  must  try,  as  far  as  possible,  not 
to  approach  this  practical  exercise,  which  is,  so  to 
speak,  the  sanction  of  all  the  rest,  except  under  satis- 
factory, or  at  least  propitious,  conditions.  Without 
putting  any  idiotic  pretentiousness  into  it,  but  quite 
the  opposite,  the  young  pupil  should  proceed  in  this 
matter  proportionately  with  the  same  precautions 
with  which  a  consummate  artist,  who  is  conscious  of 
his  worth  and  does  not  intend  to  compromise  it,  sur- 
rounds himself.  From  an  entirely  different  point  of 
view,  the  debutant,  who  is  inexperienced  and  still  sub- 
ject to  all  kinds  of  awkwardness,  should  know  how  to 
[S3] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

avoid  all  the  causes  that  might  be  of  a  nature  (by  de- 
priving him  of  any  part  of  his  faculties)  to  hinder 
him  from  doing  full  honour  to  the  little  knowledge  he 
has.  Then,  this  will  also  be  a  good  habit  formed  for 
the  day  when  he  himself  will  have  become  a  talented 
virtuoso. 

He  should  therefore  refrain,  like  a  true  artist  and 
as  much  as  possible,  from  playing  before  an  unintel- 
ligent audience  that  talks  instead  of  listens,  which 
would  accustom  him  to  neglect  his  execution ;  if  he  is 
a  pianist,  he  should  refrain  from  playing  upon  a  bad 
piano,  a  piano  in  a  bad  condition,  or  one  out  of  tune ; 
if  he  plays  an  instrument,  he  should  refrain  from  play- 
ing any  except  his  own,  at  least  unless  he  is  perfectly 
well  acquainted  with  it  and  is  certain  that  he  knows 
how  to  make  it  obey  him ;  and  also  from  playing  with 
a  bad  accompaniment,  or  without  having  rehearsed, 
which  is  exceedingly  imprudent ;  if  concerted  or  en- 
semble music  is  in  question,  he  should  refrain  from 
playing  in  company  with  performers  of  an  inferior 
order,  in  contact  with  whom  he  cannot  fail  to  acquire, 
bad  habits,  for  we  do  not  learn  elegant  manners  by 
frequenting  the  society  of  low  people ;  over  and  above 
all,  he  should  always  refuse  to  play  cheap  music,  or 
music  that  is  badly  written,  or  of  bad  taste  (not  to  be 
confused  with  light  music),  even  if  he  is  asked  for  it. 

Apart  from  these  harmful  circumstances,  he  should 
always  eagerly  seize  every  opportunity  of  putting 
what  he  has  learned  into  practice,  at  first,  preferably 
in  an  intimate  and  very  restricted  circle,  and  then 
progress  to  a  larger  audience  composed  of  heterogene- 
[84] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

ous  elements,  thus  gradually  preparing  himself  to 
confront  the  great  public  to  which  all  the  manifesta- 
tions of  art  are  finally  destined  and  addressed. 

Now,  we  will  pass  in  review  the  most  profitable  way 
to  study  every  instrument. 

For  the  convenience  of  classification,  we  will  begin 
with  the  keyboard-instruments;  the  stringed-instru- 
ments played  with  the  bow  and  plucked  will  follow ; 
and  we  will  finish  with  the  \vind-instruments. 

We  will  endeavour  to  make  the  particular  require- 
ments of  each  perfectly  clear,  as  well  as  what  can  be 
expected  from  it  and  the  amount  of  work  necessary 
to  acquire  the  mastery  of  it,  as  also, — which  is  the 
real  object  of  this  book, — the  best  manner  of  pur- 
suing any  study  in  accordance  with  the  end  intended 
to  be  attained. 

IV.  THE  PIANO 

Of  all  instruments,  the  one  the  study  of  which  can 
be  undertaken  with  advantage  the  earliest,  is  most  cer- 
tainly the  PIANO. 

From  the  age  of  six,  sometimes  indeed,  of  five 
years,  a  well-balanced  child,  with  good  health  and 
ready  intelligence  and  being  already  able  to  read  well 
(this  is  the  simplest  and  the  best  criterion)  is  in  per- 
fect condition  to  embark  upon  this  study,  if  it  is  pre- 
sented to  him  as  it  should  be  at  this  age,  as  a  pleasure, 
I  will  even  say  as  an  amusement,  a  kind  of  recreation, 
and  not,  as  too  frequently  happens,  as  a  task. 

Contrary  to  a  generally  accepted  idea,  it  is  very 
important  that  the  child  should  receive  his  first  notions 
[85] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

from  a  good  master,  considering  that  these  first  no- 
tions will  form  the  solid  basis  of  all  his  future  knowl- 
edge, and  hence  that  it  is  desirable  that  they  should 
have  an  artistic  and  attractive  character,  the  impres- 
sions of  which  may  be  preserved  for  ever. 

Let  us  then  say  plainly  that  it  is  false  economy  on 
the  part  of  parents  to  hunt  for  petty  teachers  of  the 
lowest  order  and  without  experience,  on  the  pretext 
that  it  is  only  a  question  of  teaching  a  beginner.  To 
teach  beginners  is  perhaps  more  difficult  than  any- 
thing else;  and,  moreover,  it  is  in  a  great  measure 
upon  the  initial  direction  given  in  the  first  hours  of 
their  studies  that  will  depend  the  result  into  which 
will  finally  blossom,  when  they  have  reached  maturity, 
all  the  pains  they  take  themselves  and  that  are 
taken  for  them.  "  We  think  that  it  requires  a  very 
varied  knowledge  and  a  very  complete  musical  edu- 
cation to  be  a  good  elementary  teacher,  for  higher 
teaching  is  fruitful  in  results  only  when  the  basis  of 
the  first  studies  has  been  solidly  established."  *  It 
is  not  necessary,  however,  that  the  teacher  should 
be  an  exceptional  virtuoso,  that  would  be  another  ex- 
aggeration, but  he  should  be  a  sufficiently  able  exec- 
utant to  let  the  pupil  hear  the  desired  effect  and  to 
show  him  how  he  can  produce  it.  "  Every  art  is  best 
taught  by  example."  f  This  is  so  much  the  more  to 
be  desired  since  it  is  bad  for  the  pupil  to  have  his 
guidance  changed  too  early,  and  it  would  be  better  to 

*  A.  Marmontel,  Conseils  tCun  Professeur. 

\  "  Tout  art   est  mieux  enseignt  par  fexemple  "  (Epigraphe  du 
Gradus  ad  Parnassum  de  Clementi). 

[86] 


keep  the  same  throughout  his  studies  of  the  piano,  or 
at  least  for  a  long  time,  until  the  period  of  the  studies 
of  high  virtuosity,  when  it  may  even  be  good  for  him 
to  try  different  kinds  of  teaching  and  to  take  note 
for  himself  of  the  methods  of  various  schools,  as  we 
have  already  remarked.  It  is  important  also  that  the 
master  should  have  had  a  good  teacher  himself, 
so  that  there  is  no  risk  of  his  propagating  false  prin- 
ciples ;  but  above  everything  else,  he  must  be  an  artist, 
with  an  appreciation  of  the  Beautiful,  having  a  hor- 
ror of  bad  composers,  and  incapable  of  making  a  bad 
selection  in  the  works  he  puts  into  the  hands  of  his 
pupils;  an  erudite  musician,  knowing  his  classics  and 
capable  of  inculcating  in  the  child,  whenever  the  oc- 
casion offers,  healthful  notions  of  aesthetics ;  he  must 
possess,  particularly  at  the  beginning,  a  patience  and 
a  gentleness  proof  against  everything,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  repeat  the  same  thing  a  hundred  times  without  be- 
coming impatient ;  he  must  also  have  authority  with- 
out pedantry,  moral  influence,  a  pleasing  face,  an 
amiable  character,  calling  forth  affection  but  repell- 
ing familiarity.  These  last  qualities  are  found  more 
frequently,  and  are  more  natural,  in  women  and 
young  girls.  We  see  that  if  the  choice  of  a  teacher  is 
important,  it  is  not  easy,  particularly  when  we  do  not 
live  in  a  large  centre  of  population,  and  that  it  merits 
serious  attention. 

When    once    the    professor    has    been    judiciously 

chosen  and  enters  upon  his  duties,  it  is  important  to 

leave  him  entire  master  of  the  situation,  and  not  to 

impose  any  fetters  upon  him ;  to  help  him  as  far  as 

[87] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

possible,  if  it  is  his  pleasure,  and  in  the  way  that 
pleases  him,  but  not  to  attempt  to  modify  his  ideas, 
his  programme,  or  his  way  of  teaching.  It  is  like 
taking  on  a  pilot,  to  whom  the  captain,  while  pre- 
serving his  authority,  relinquishes  the  care  of  tak- 
ing the  ship  into  port.  Two  sets  of  orders  are  never 
worth  anything. 

Another  matter  upon  which  it  is  bad  judgment  to 
economize  is  the  choice  of  an  instrument.  A  good 
little  upright  piano,  by  a  conscientious  maker,  new 
or  second-hand,  but  in  very  good  condition,  is  the 
best.  A  large  concert  grand,  or  an  old  instrument 
that  works  badly,  would  be  equally  prejudicial  to  the 
success  of  the  studies.  In  reality,  one  of  the  first 
things  that  one  ought  to  seek  here,  even  with  the 
novice,  is  a  good  quality  of  tone,  a  beautiful  sonority ; 
it  is  then  necessary  to  put  into  his  hands  a  sufficiently 
sensitive  tool  to  betray  the  defects  and  awkwardnesses 
of  his  touch.  On  the  other  hand,  a  too  sonorous  in- 
strument would  deafen  and  confuse  him,  and  would 
be  too  difficult  for  him  to  manage.  What  he  wants  is 
a  good  family  horse,  fairly  spirited,  and  not  an  old 
hack  nor  a  blooded  steed.  Moreover,  it  is  necessary 
that  his  piano  should  always  be  kept  in  perfect  tune, 
so  as  not  to  make  his  ear  false  if  it  is  naturally  true, 
and  to  correct  it  if  it  is  slightly  defective. 

People  think  that  at  first  any  kind  of  a  piano  and 
a  mediocre  teacher  are  sufficient.  These  are  two  gross 
errors. 

After  the  age  that  we  have  assigned  to  him,  it  is 
clear  that  the  study  of  the  piano  may  be  undertaken 
[88] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

at  the  same  time  as  that  of  solfeggio.  If  one  wishes 
to  proceed  thus,  it  is  best  absolutely  to  confound  them 
for  some  time,  to  such  an  extent  that  the  child  cannot 
distinguish  in  his  lesson  which  is  the  piano  and  which 
is  solfeggio,  and  sees  only  one  thing, — music. 

Here  is  about  the  type  of  the  first  lesson  of  this 
nature. 

You  write  for  him  upon  a  sheet  of  paper  which  you 
put  on  the  desk : 


and  you  say  to  him :  this  note  is  called  do ;  write  me  a 
do. — He  should  copy  the  note,  putting  its  name 
above  it. 

Then,  you  show  him  on  the  piano  the  correspond- 
ing key,  upon  which  you  write  with  the  pencil  the 
same  sign,  saying:  "This  is  the  same  do;  play  do."- 
He  should  play  the  note. 

Then  you  say  to  him:  "  Listen  well  to  this  do;  now 
sing  jt  after  me."  You  sing  it. — And  then  he  should 
sing  it. 

In  this  way,  the  idea  of  the  note  read  or  written, 
that -of  the  key  and  the  tone  that  it  produces,  that  of 
the  note  that  he  hears  and  the  note  that  he  sings  be- 


come  incrusted  at  the  same  time  in  his  mind,  where 
they  melt  into  a  whole  which  is  for  him  the  note  do 
under  three  forms, — the  trinity  of  the  do. 

This  may  be  the  extent  of  the  first  lesson. 

In  the  following  ones,  in  starting  again  with  do, 
you  can  teach  him  several  other  notes,  always  by 
making  him  read  them,  write  them,  play  them,  hear 
them  and  sing  them,  by  making  groups  of  them, 
which  will  be  fragments  of  the  scale  or  little  airs. 
You  must  point  out  to  him  that  the  notes  above  the 
do  are  written  in  the  clef  of  (sol)  G  and  those  below 
in  the  clef  of  (fa)  F,  the  last  of  which  he  cannot  sing 
as  easily  as  the  others  (first  notion  of  the  compass  of 
the  voice)  and  finally,  having  started  from  this  basis, 
you  can  make  him  copy  his  little  exercises  and  sing 
them  in  solfeggio,  before  playing  them  upon  the 
piano,  in  such  a  way  as  to  develop  the  little  musician 
and  the  little  pianist  at  the  same  time,  and  so  that 
there  will  never  be  separated  in  his  little  infantile  in- 
telligence the  three  ideas  of  the  written  note,  the 
played  note,  and  the  note  that  is  sung  or  heard,  which 
should  form  an  irreducible  whole,  which  is  the  truth 
for  every  musician. 

It  must  be  well  understood  that  this  can  only  last 
for  a  time,  and  that  the  two  studies  will  have  to  be 
pursued  separately  although  side  by  side. 

At  the  beginning,  especially  if  the  child  is  very 
young,  the  lessons  should  be  very  short  but  very  close 
together;  the  ideal  plan  would  be  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  every  day,  without  any  Mrork  on  the  part  of  the 
child  alone,  and  without  even  allowing  him  to  amuse 

[90] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

himself  upon  the  piano  in  the  interval,  so  as  not  to 
acquire  bad  habits,  which  would  retard  his  progress. 
At  the  end  of  a  few  months,  you  can  separate  the  les- 
sons to  every  two  days,  and  increase  their  length  to 
half  an  hour,  if  this  child  is  sufficiently  attentive  and 
careful  to  work  alone  in  the  intervening  days.  It  is 
scarcely  until  after  two  years  of  study  that  the  pupil 
can  profit  by  a  lesson  of  an  hour,  repeated  two  or 
three  times  a  week,  working  an  hour  or  two  every 
day.  In  the  course  of  the  studies,  one  should  keep  on 
increasing  the  intervals  between  the  lessons.  Towards 
the  age  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  years,  one  lesson  a  week, 
or  even  one  a  fortnight,  should  suffice,  and  later,  it 
would  be  best  only  to  take  one  a  month.  To  make 
them  more  frequent  has  the  bad  result  of  depriving 
the  pupil  of  some  of  his  spontaneity  and  individ- 
uality. 

The  daily  work  should  keep  constantly  increasing 
until  it  reaches  about  four  hours  a  day  (very  excep- 
tionally five  or  six,  in  several  sittings,  and  never  more 
than  two  hours  in  succession),  always  attaching 
great  importance,  and  this  from  the  first  months,  I 
should  almost  say  the  first  days  of  study,  to  obtain- 
ing a  beautiful  sonority,  a  good  quality  of  tone,^— 
something  inestimable  and  which  is  almost  entirely 
dependent  upon  the  first  habits  acquired ;  "  the  tone 
obtained  from  the  same  piano  varies,  according  to  the 
suppleness  and  the  delicacy  of  touch  of  the  artist,  ac- 
cording to  his  individual  nature  and  the  degree  of 
his  manual  dexterity."  *  When  this  principle  has 
*  A.  Marmontel,  Histoire  du  Piano. 

[91] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

been  neglected  at  the  beginning,  a  work  that  is  often 
long  and  difficult  is  exacted  later. 

It  is  often  said :  pianists  have  an  advantage  over  all 
others  in  finding  their  tones  already  made.  This  is 
not  absolutely  true,  since  every  pianist  has  a  different 
tone  which  causes  him  to  be  recognized. 

"  One  of  the  first  conditions  for  obtaining  breadth 
of  execution,  a  beautiful  sonority  and  a  great  variety 
in  the  production  of  tone,  is  to  divest  oneself  of  all 
stiffness.  It  is  then  indispensable  to  have  in  the  fore- 
arm, the  wrists  and  the  fingers,  as  much  suppleness 
and  varied  inflections  as  a  clever  singer  possesses  in 
his  voice."  * 

Generally  speaking,  people  work  too  much — this 
remark  will  make  me  friends  with  all  pupils, — but  in 
general  also  they  work  badly.  Here,  as  in  so  many 
things,  quality  is  preferable  to  quantity. 

To  work  well  and  profitably,  the  principal  thing  is 
to  bring  a  sustained  attention  to  that  which  we  are 
doing,  and  not  to  allow  ourselves  to  be  distracted  by 
any  external  preoccupation ;  to  work  slowly :  Chi  va 
piano,  va  sano,  et  chi  va  sano  va  lontano,\ — the 
thing  which  is  the  most  useful  of  all,  and  very  often 
also  the  most  difficult  to  obtain. 

Again  I  quote  from  Thalberg,  Avho  was  one  of  the 
most  enchanting  of  virtuosi:  "  We  will  remark  that 
in  general  people  play  too  fast  and  that  they  think 
they  have  proved  a  great  deal  by  displaying  great 

*  S.  Thalberg,  Preface  to  UArt  du  chant  appliqitt  nu  piano. 
f  He  who  goes  slowly,  goes  wisely,  and  he  who  goes  wisely, 
goes  far. — Italian  proverb. 

[92] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

agility  with  the  fingers.  To  play  too  fast  is  a  capital 
offence.  In  a  moderate  movement,  the  conduct  of  a 
simple  fugue  of  three  or  four  voices  and  its  inter- 
pretation, in  correctness  and  style,  exact  and  prove 
more  talent  than  the  execution  of  the  most  brilliant, 
rapid  and  complicated  piano  piece.  It  is  much  more 
difficult  than  one  would  think  not  to  hurry  and  not  to 
play  fast."  *  And  a  little  further  on  he  adds :  "  One 
recommendation  that  we  should  not  neglect,  is  to  put 
great  sobriety  into  the  movements  of  the  body  and 
great  tranquillity  into  the  arms  and  hands,  never  to 
attack  the  piano  from  too  great  a  height,  to  listen  con- 
stantly while  playing,  to  interrogate  and  to  be  se- 
vere upon  ourselves  as  to  our  playing,  and  to  learn  to 
judge  ourselves.  In  general,  people  work  too  much 
with  their  fingers  and  too  little  with  their  intelli- 
gence." 

Another  very  useful  thing  is  not  to  forget  what 
we  have  learned  while  we  are  learning  something  else, 
which  becomes  the  labour  of  the  Danaides.  I  fully 
believe  that  Jacotot,  a  celebrated  educator  of  the  last 
century,  was  the  first  to  formulate  that  admirable 
axiom,  applicable  to  all  branches  of  instruction,  and 
consequently  to  music,  but  in  a  way  quite  special  to 
the  piano  because  of  the  prodigious  quantity  of  beau- 
tiful works  with  which  composers  have  endowed  the 
literature  of  this  instrument  and  with  which  pupils 
are  consequently  wont  to  furnish  their  minds :  "  One 
would  always  be  more  learned  with  what  one  has  for- 
gotten than  with  what  one  has  retained."  How  true 
*  S.  Thalberg. 

[93] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

that  is  of  everything;  and  who  is  there  among  us, 
even  the  most  learned,  who  would  not  be  benefited  by 
recovering  the  remembrance  of  a  host  of  things  that 
he  has  once  known  and  forgotten,  abandoning  in  ex- 
change the  paltry  baggage  of  what  has  remained  in 
his  memory !  "  Science  is  nothing  but  remembrance," 
Montaigne  has  said ;  to  know  anything  to-day  counts 
for  nought,  if  to-morrow  we  no  longer  know  what  we 
knew  yesterday.  To  learn'without  being  able  to  recol- 
lect is  equivalent  to  writing  upon  shifting  sands. 

It  is  then  necessary  to  cultivate  the  memory,  to  ac- 
custom yourself  to  learn  everything  by  heart  (I  say 
everything  without  exception,  exercises  as  well  as  the 
works  of  the  masters),  and  to  forget  as  little  as  pos- 
sible, nothing,  if  you  can  help  it.  And  this  is  not 
very  difficult,  if  you  proceed  with  method  and  perse- 
verance; here  are  the  means,  I  hand  over  the  secret: 
from  the  moment  that  you  are  able  to  play  correctly 
and  properly  any  piece  whatsoever,  be  it  etude  or 
morceau,  you  should  learn  it  by  heart,  so  thoroughly 
as  to  be  able  to  repeat  it  exactly  without  having  the 
text  before  your  eyes  (for  some  this  will  be  very 
easy,  for  others  it  will  require  great  effort  at  first, 
but  it  will  all  come  in  time,  it  is  nothing  but  an  ac- 
quired habit,  the  experience  has  been  proved  with 
thousands  of  pupils  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire  alone, 
and  to  my  knowledge)  ;  having  done  this,  you  must 
force  yourself  to  play  this  piece  over  again,  on  the 
following  days,  alternately  by  heart  and  with  the 
music,  once,  which  is  a  matter  of  a  few  minutes.  Dur- 
ing this  time,  learn  something  else,  which  must  then 
[94] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

be  submitted  to  the  same  rule,  but  now  piece  No.  1 
will  keep  itself  in  the  memory  by  being  played  only 
every  two  days,  once  with  the  music  and  once  by  mem- 
ory. When  a  third  piece  has  been  learned  and  like- 
wise got  encased  in  the  memory,  piece  No.  2,  in  its 
turn,  will  not  need  to  be  repeated  more  than  twice 
every  two  days,  and  No.  1  every  four  days,  and  so 
on.  You  will  very  easily  manage  (when  I  say  you,  I 
mean  by  that  everybody,  all  those  who  are  willing  to 
take  the  trouble)  to  retain  in  the  memory  and  in  the 
fingers  pieces  that  you  play  only  once  a  month  and 
even  less  frequently,  provided  you  have  proceeded 
progressively,  by  gradually  distancing  the  repetition 
to  six,  eight,  ten  and  fifteen  days,  relatively  to  the 
order  in  which  the  aforesaid  pieces  have  been  learned, 
and  then  every  two  months,  three  months,  six  months, 
etc.,  submitting  them  however  to  a  new  supplement- 
ary study  if  you  perceive  that  the  memory  is  in 
danger  of  failing.  When  a  musical  work  has  re- 
mained in  the  memory  for  about  a  year,  it  is  very  sel- 
dom that  it  ever  escapes.  To  obtain  this  result,  which 
is  so  desirable  and  so  delightful,  the  whole  thing  is  to 
act  systematically ;  it  is  true  that  after  some  time, 
this  requires  you  to  keep  in  mind  a  veritable  cata- 
logue, but  this  does  not  interfere  much  with  other 
occupations.  I  have  very  often  seen  modest  amateurs 
without  the  slightest  effort  register  and  retain  in  their 
memories  and  fingers  repertories  of  from  150  to  200 
pieces  always  ready,  among  which,  if  they  had  a  few 
of  Chopin's  Nocturnes  or  Mendelssohn's  Romances, 
pieces  of  a  few  pages  only,  there  also  figured  entire 
[95] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Sonatas  and  Concertos,  which  were  regarded  in  iheir 
catalogue  as  simple  units.  Better  than  that,  I  have 
seen  people  play  without  the  slightest  hesitation 
( these  were  artists  )  with  the  orchestra  and  from  mem- 
ory, Concertos  which  they  had  learned  ten  or  twenty 
years  previously,  had  never  seen  since  and  believed 
they  had  forgotten,  but  which  had  been  submitted,  at 
the  proper  time,  to  the  rule  that  I  have  just  described. 
This  appears  prodigious,  but  it  is,  nevertheless,  very 
simple ;  it  is  sufficient  to  proceed  methodically  and 
systematically,  and  to  absorb  thoroughly  this  truth: 
it  is  far  more  useful  to  retain  what  we  have  learned, 
than  to  be  constantly  learning  new  things.  One  hour 
a  day  devoted  to  this  perpetual  review,  is  broadly  suf- 
ficient and  not  in  the  least  tedious,  since  we  are  giving 
ourselves  a  veritable  little  concert. 

Apart  from  this  question  of  repertory,  so  im- 
portant to  the  pianist,  whether  he  be  artist  or  ama- 
teur, there  is  another  that  absolutely  obliges  him  to  cul- 
tivate and  develop  his  memory.  It  even  presents  a 
rather  curious  fact.  About  fifty  years  ago,  all  good 
piano  teachers  were  opposed  to  their  pupils  playing 
four  notes  in  succession  by  heart,  for  fear  of  their  al- 
tering anything  of  the  composer's  text,  and  required 
them  always  to  have  the  music  before  their  eyes;  this 
was  an  absolute  principle.  They  were  right.  The 
teachers  of  to-day,  while  quite  as  careful  about  the 
exact  reproduction  of  the  text,  no  longer  think  the 
same,  but  want  to  have  everything  played  by  heart. 
They  are  also  right. 

Why? 

[96] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

Because  during  the  200  odd  years  that  the  piano 
has  existed,*  the  instrument  and  its  literature,  and 
the  way  of  writing  for  it,  have  been  changed  from 
beginning  to  end.  Until  the  time  of  Mozart  and 
Beethoven's  early  years,  its  keyboard  had  a  very  re- 
stricted compass,  of  about  five  octaves  and  a  half, 
which  naturally  the  composer  never  dreamed  of  ex- 
ceeding. Therefore  their  works  were  always  written 
under  the  hand,  and  the  glance  can  be  easily  shared 
between  the  keys  and  the  music-book.  There  was  not 
the  slightest  reason  then  in  playing  the  piano  to  act 
otherwise  than  in  playing  any  other  instrument,  and 
it  was  much  wiser  to  keep  the  music  before  the  eyes  so 
as  not  to  run  the  risk  of  going  astray.  That  was  very 
logical. 

But  since  that  time,  and  even  before  Beethoven's 
last  years,  the  piano  has  been  considerably  enlarged, 
since  its  keyboard  now  embraces  seven  octaves  and 
sometimes  more.  The  composers  have  quite  naturally 
profited  by  this  expansion,  by  these  new  resources, 
and  under  the  influence  of  the  Chopins,  Liszts  and 
all  the  moderns,  the  manner  of  writing  has  quite 
changed.  It  goes  by  leaps  and  bounds,  putting  the 
whole  instrument  into  vibration  at  once,  by  means  of 
the  pedal;  the  body  itself  often  has  to  be  in  move- 
ment, and  it  would  be  very  difficult  or  impossible  to 
keep  the  eyes  fixed  on  the  music  while  they  are  en- 
grossed in  watching  the  hands  and  looking  at  the 
keys.  The  only  way  to  play  modern  music  then,  is 
by  heart;  and  when  this  habit  is  once  acquired  we 
*It  was  invented  about  1717. 

[97] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

also  prefer  to  play  in  the  same  way  the  classic  works, 
which,  being  more  simply  written  and  containing 
fewer  notes,  find  their  way  more  easily  into  the  mind. 
,  This  custom  has  so  thoroughly  passed  into  prac- 
tice, that  a  pianist  who  plays  with  his  notes  now  looks 
as  unnatural  and  ill  at  ease  as  an  actor  who  should 
read  his  part  on  the  stage ;  without  speaking  of  that 
awkward  complication  arising  from  the  need  of  al- 
ways having  somebody  beside  you  to  turn  the  pages. 

"  You  must  not  only  be  able  to  play  your  pieces, 
but  you  should  be  able  to  solfa  them  without  the 
piano ;  and  your  imagination  should  be  cultivated  to 
the  point  of  retaining  the  harmony  that  is  given  to 
a  melody  quite  as  well  as  the  melody  itself."  * 

When  we  attentively  examine  the  matter,  we  per- 
ceive that  so  far  as  music  is  concerned  there  really 
exist  three  kinds  of  memory,  or,  it  would  be  better  to 
say,  three  distinct  manifestations  of  the  memory :  the 
memory  of  the  ear,  of  the  eyes,  and  of  the  fingers, 
which  can  exist  separately,  and  thus  give  satisfactory 
results,  but  whose  union  alone  constitutes  the  perfect 
and  truly  desirable  memory.  This  requires  some  ex- 
planation. The  memory  of  the  ear  alone  is  sufficient 
to  retain  a  melodic  contour,  or  a  series  of  chords,  or 
even  the  two  united ;  but  it  only  registers  the  tones  in 
the  memory  according  to  their  relation  to  each  other, 
and  not  according  to  their  absolute  and  real  pitch 
(with  exceptions  of  extreme  rarity);  it  is  prone  to 
transpose  them  involuntarily,  indeed  most  of  the  time 
unconsciously,  and  it  is  in  this  that  its  imperfection 
*  Schumann. 

[98] 


consists ;  it  also  lacks  precision ;  it  is  very  nearly,  but 
not  quite,  a  memory,  one  that  allows  us  approximately 
to  remember  an  air  heard  while  travelling,  or  a  gifted 
amateur  to  play  a  whole  opera,  whose  first  represen- 
tation he  has  attended,  on  the  piano  when  he  goes 
home,  to  the  amazement  of  his  friends, — and  with 
good  reason  (I  have  never  been  a  witness  of  this  phe- 
nomenon, but  I  have  been  so  often  told  about  it !).  It 
is  a  superficial  and  incomplete  memory ;  although  ap- 
preciable. 

Infinitely  superior  is  the  memory  of  the  eyes,  how- 
ever strange  this  may  appear  at  first  glance.  He 
who  possesses  it,  retains  as  graven  on  his  mind  the 
note  itself,  the  printed  note,  even  remembers  the  place 
it  occupies  on  the  page,  and  would  be  capable  of  copy- 
ing from  memory  and  reproducing  upon  the  paper 
the  work  that  he  has  studied  sufficiently  to  have 
fathomed  it  to  its  depths,  even  were  it  an  orchestral 
score,  exactly  as  one  would  write  a  piece  of  verse  or 
any  bit  of  literature  that  is  retained  in  the  mind,  word 
for  word ;  at  bottom,  it  is  the  same  intellectual  opera- 
tion. This  is  the  analytical  memory,  the  memory  of 
the  true  musician  who  knows  how  to  listen  with  his 
eyes  as  well  as  with  his  ears,  who  makes  no  difference 
between  the  note  written,  the  note  sung  or  played  and 
the  note  heard, — ever  the  same  principle.  It  is  this 
memory  above  all  that  we  should  try  to  acquire  and 
develop  by  every  possible  means,  as  being  the  most 
precious  of  all.  We  can  exercise  it  by  applying  our- 
selves assiduously  to  writing  out  by  heart  little  frag- 
ments and  short  passages,  which  we  have  first  spe- 
[99] 


cially  studied  with  this  end  in  view,  and  then  others 
of  greater  length.  There  are  cases,  however,  espe- 
cially for  the  pianist,  in  complicated  passages  formed 
of  many  notes  that  succeed  each  other  with  extreme 
rapidity,  where  this  intelligent  and  rational  memory, 
which  demands  an  effort  of  reflection,  might  find  itself 
at  fault.  Then  becomes  valuable  the  mechanical  and 
unthinking  memory  of  the  fingers,  which  correctly 
and  faithfully  accomplish  their  task  like  veritable  au- 
tomata, when  they  have  been  sufficiently  trained, 
without  any  cerebral  effort,  and  even  while  we  may 
be  thinking  of  something  entirely  different. 

I  do  not  know  how  physiology  or  the  psychologist 
explains  this  phenomenon  of  dual  thought-action,  but 
it  is  indubitably  real.  There  are  some  persons  whc 
can  play  for  you  a  piece  heavily  charged  with  notes-; 
while  listening  to  others  talking  around  them  and  ever 
taking  part  in  the  conversation.  To  assert  that  thej 
put  deep  feeling  into  their  playing  at  the  same  time,  1. 
should  not  dare. 

And  this  is  why  I  say  that  the  complete,  perfect, 
and  really  desirable  memory  should  be  clothed  in  turn., 
and  sometimes  simultaneously,  with  these  three  forms : 
memory  of  the  eyes,  ear  and  fingers.  If  we  possess 
one  of  these,  we  must  train  for  the  others;  they  will 
naturally  aid  each  other. 

More  than  any  other  instrumentalists,  pianists 
should  give  their  whole  attention  to  the  study  of  read- 
ing at  sight,  because  of  the  great  number  of  notes 
that  they  have  to  read,  whether  simultaneously  or 
very  rapidly.  From  the  third  year,  at  the  latest,  it 
[  100  1 


is  necessary  to  devote  a  few  moments  every  day  to 
reading  slowly  things  that  are  easy  enough  to  be 
read  without  making  any  mistakes  (I  have  already 
said  this,  but  it  cannot  be  repeated  too  often),  with- 
out hesitating  or  stumbling,  and  even  to  putting  in 
all  the  shading  indicated ;  it  is  only  on  this  condition 
that  this  study  is  profitable.  Before  reading  any 
piece  whatsoever,  short  or  developed,  you  should  go 
over  it  slowly,  examining  very  particularly  such  pas- 
sages as  seem  difficult ;  but  once  having  started,  you 
must  never  stop  under  any  pretext  whatsoever;  it 
would  be  better  to  invent  several  notes,  indeed  even 
several  bars,  than  to  stop  and  begin  again.  You 
must  possess  "  a  complete  absence  of  remorse  for  any 
mistake  made,"  according  to  the  pretty  expression  of 
Eugene  Sauzay,*  a  celebrated  violinist  who  was  a  per- 
fect master  of  accompaniment  as  well  as  a  man  of  wit 
and  erudition.  It  is  imperative  to  know  how  to  divine 
from  the  figure  what  we  have  no  time  to  read,  and 
always  to  read  ahead,  at  least  one  bar  in  slow  move- 
ments, and  several  in  pieces  of  a  lively  gait.  To 
know  how  to  read  well,  a  thing  precious  above  all  else, 
is  an  accomplishment  of  combined  intelligence, 
ability,  and  presence  of  mind.  J.  J.  Rousseau  said 
long  ago  in  his  dictionary :  "  All  musicians  pride 
themselves  upon  playing  at  sight,  but  there  are  very 
few  who  in  this  execution  catch  the  spirit  of  the  work, 
or  who,  even  if  they  make  no  mistakes  in  the  notes,  do 
not  at  least  give  a  wrong  meaning  in  the  execution." 

*  E.  Sauzay,  £cote  de  Vaccompagnement  (Firmin  Didot,  editeur, 
1869). 

[101] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

With  modern  music,  reading  has  become  in  itself  a 
veritable  art,  and  really  a  very  difficult  one. 

Four-hand  reading  is  very  good  practice,  still  bet- 
ter than  with  two  pianos,  whether  with  the  teacher 
or  with  a  partner  of  about  the  same  skill. 

The  pianist  should  also  be  equally  accustomed  to 
the  difficulties  of  transposition,  more  complicated  for 
him  than  for  any  other  instrumentalists,  because  he 
has  infinitely  more  notes  to  read  than  they  have.  He 
should  therefore  train  himself  very  early  in  trans- 
posing even  exercises.  Apart  from  the  utility  of 
knowing  hoAv  to  transpose,  this  study  forms  an  ex- 
cellent gymnastic  exercise  and  helps  to  form  a  mu- 
sician. 

When  we  have  acquired  complete  mastery  of  an 
•instrument,  and  can  play  without  having  to  pay  at- 
tention to  the  minute  details  of  execution,  it  is  worth 
while  to  take  ensemble  lessons  with  a  violinist  or 
'cellist  (inaccurately  called  lessons  of  accompaniment, 
because  the  piano  does  not  accompany  more  than  it  is 
accompanied,  it  is  absolutely  a  concerted  instrument)  ; 
or  we  might  even  choose  as  a  teacher  the  player  of 
some  entirely  different  instrument,,  but  we  should 
quickly  come  to  the  end  of  the  catalogue  of  good 
works  written  for  the_piano  and  clarinet,  flute,  oboe, 
horn  or  bassoon,  while  the  literature  for  the  stringed 
instruments  is  nearly  inexhaustible.  After  getting  ac- 
customed to  playing  with  a  single  instrument,  you  can 
take  up  the  study  of  Trios,  Quartets,  Quintets,  etc., 
which  is  exceedingly  interesting. 

This  interest  lies  very  largely  in  the  enormous  num- 
[102] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

ber  of  masterpieces  that  the  classic  authors  and  a  few 
contemporaries  have  written  for  Chamber-music,  the 
most  elevated  form  of  pure  music;  partly  also  in  the 
pleasure  caused  by  the  mingling  of  the  timbres.  The 
pianist  here  is  obliged  to  play  otherwise  than  as  a 
soloist,  to  modify  and  frequently  to  diminish  his  tone, 
in  order  to  assimilate  and  to  ally  himself  with  the  other 
instruments,  which  he  should  never  try  to  dominate 
except  in  particular  passages  where  his  part  pre- 
ponderates. Finally,  it  is  an  entirely  special  study. 

It  is  also  a  very  good  exercise  to  accompany 
singers: — here  the  verb  to  accompany  is  in  its  place, 
meaning  a  complete  abnegation,  with  the  one  desire 
of  supporting  the  singer,  aiding  him  and  sometimes 
guiding  him,  without  ever  covering  his  voice.  This 
talent  of  being  a  good  accompanist  is  very  rare, 
and  one  that  always  denotes  an  excellent  musician,  for 
it  requires  all  the  qualities  of  a  virtuoso,  and  in  addi- 
tion a  tact  and  a  presence  of  mind  that  are  very  dif- 
ficult to  acquire. 

In  every  kind  of  ensemble  music,  there  can  be  no 
question  of  playing  by  heart.  No  matter  how  sure 
you  may  be  of  your  memory,  you  cannot  be  respon- 
sible for  the  errors  into  which  you  may  be  ]ed  through 
the  inadvertence  of  a  partner. 

Whether  it  is  a  question  of  the  study  of  the  piano, 
sight-reading  or  ensemble  music,  the  foundation 
should  always  consist  of  classical  music,  or  that  of 
contemporary  composers  who  have  written  in  the  clas- 
sical style;  for  the  primary  or  secondary  instruction, 
it  is  also  necessary  to  adhere  to  these ;  then  a  part  of 
[103] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  time  should  be  given  to  modern  music,  but  with 
exfreme  circumspection,  and  avoiding  all  vulgar  and 
unhealthy  compositions  that  unfortunately  are  rap- 
idly multiplying.  Schumann  expresses  himself  clearly 
upon  this  subject:  "  You  should  never  play  bad  com- 
positions, nor  listen  to  them,  if  you  are  not  compelled 
to."  I  believe  that  this  is  forcible  enough.  J^lse- 
where,  he  goes  still  further  and  seems  to  invest  the 
pupil  with  the  somewhat  excessive  functions  of  a  se- 
vere censor  J  "  Never  spread  abroad  bad  compositions, 
on  the  contrary  help  to  suppress  them  with  energy." 
The  pupil  should  not  yet  trust  entirely  to  his  own 
discernment ;  to  a  great  extent  it  is  in  this  choice  that 
the  tact  of  the  professor  is  shown.  The  works  of 
Schumann,  Chopin  and  their  followers  of  the  Roman- 
tic School,  demanding  more  maturity,  should  not 
figure  in  the  programme  of  any  one  before  the  age 
of  fifteen  or  sixteen  except  as  hors-d'oeuvres  and  as 
pieces  for  occasional  ambitious  flights;  up  to  this 
period,  the  pure  classic  Germans  must  be  studied  ex- 
clusively, notably  Haydn,  Mozart,  Bach,  Handel, 
Beethoven,  Weber  and  Mendelssohn  (for  etudes, 
Cramer  and  Clementi,  in  his  marvellous  collection  of 
Gradus  ad  Parnassum) ;  for  a  stronger  reason,  Liszt 
and  the  school  of  transcendent  virtuosity  will  be  re- 
served for  the  finishing  touch  of  the  studies  and  should 
not  be  touched  before  the  age  of  eighteen  or  twenty. 
Here,  as  everywhere  else,  there  may  be  exceptions, 
extraordinarily  precocious  natures;  it  is  for  the  pro- 
fessor to  judge  of  these;  but  also  not  to  allow  him- 
self to  be  deceived  by  appearances,  nor  carried  away 
[104] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

by  the  desire  to  give  pleasure  to  his  pupils  or  to  their 
parents ;  he  should  represent  wisdom  and  prudence. 

Upon  this  subject,  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to 
put  an  end  to  that  misunderstanding,  that  false  no- 
tion of  words  and  things,  that  for  many  young  pupils 
makes  classic  the  synonym  for  tedious,  while  modern 
suggests  the  idea  of  what  is  amusing.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  imagine  a  more  complete  error.  Among  the 
ancients  as  among  our  contemporaries,  there  are 
composers  who  are  gay  and  others  who  are  more  pro- 
found and  more  serious ;  sometimes  even,  often  would 
be  better,  the  same  composer  alternately  assumes 
the  two  aspects.  If  Bach  is  austere  in  his  fugues, 
that  does  not  prevent  him  from  writing  gavottes  and 
other  pieces  in  an  alert  and  joyous  style;  there  is  no 
music  that  is  more  delightful  and  witty,  more  tender 
and  playful  than  that  of  Mozart  and  Haydn,  more 
warm,  passionate  and  dramatic  than  that  of  Bee- 
thoven. We  must  also  take  into  consideration  that 
what  we  call  in  musical  matters  the  classics,  are  not 
strictly  speaking  ancients,  they  are  the  moderns  of 
yesterday  consecrated  by  admiration,  who  directly 
gave  birth  to  the  style  of  to-day.  If  we  say  that  every 
well  ordered  study  should  begin  with  the  pure  clas- 
sics, it  is  to  confine  ourselves  in  this  chapter  to  con- 
siderations of  dry  pedagogy,  and  not  embarrass  our- 
selves with  questions  of  aesthetics  that  will  find  their 
place  elsewhere,  because  the  classic  school  initiates  us 
progressively  into  the  present  manner  of  writing,  and 
leads  us  logically  towards  it,  while  the  modern  school, 
which  is  its  outgrowth,  could  not  serve  to  lead  us  to 
8  [ 105  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  old  Masters.  This  at  least  is  the  principal  rea- 
son to  be  considered  by  those  pupils  who  desire  to 
follow  a  normal  progress ;  professors  of  some  little  ex- 
perience will  be  able  to  find  several  others  which  there 
is  no  need  here  to  indicate  to  them. 

As  soon  as  the  young  pupil  begins  to  play  properly 
several  little  pieces  and  knows  them  by  heart,  it  is  in- 
dispensable to  accustom  him  to  play  them  before  peo- 
ple, without  any  airs  and  without  waiting  to  be 
begged,  which  is  the  worst  possible  taste.  This 
should  first  happen  before  one's  own  family  and  a 
few  intimate  friends  who  are  kindly  disposed  (it  is 
not  a  treat  that  is  offered  to  them,  it  is  a  service  that 
is  demanded  of  them),  then  gradually  before  more 
numerous  audiences.  At  this  age,  a  child  does  not 
know  what  fear  is,  of  that  stupid  and  paralyzing 
thing  not  a  trace  is  known,  and  this  habit  of  playing 
before  people  is  formed  quite  naturally  and  is  never 
lost.  Later,  on  the  contrary,  timidity,  which  is  noth- 
ing but  a  form  of  self-love,  comes  into  play,  and  the 
greatest  amount  of  form  and  ceremony  is  required 
to  induce  the  young  virtuoso  to  play  before  those 
friends  who  are  the  most  kindly  disposed  towards  him. 
This  is  absurd,  but  it  is  so,  above  all  with  young 
girls.  Now,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  avoid  this 
pretentious  shyness,  and  the  most  certain  way  is  to 
take  it  in  hand  at  an  early  period.  Music  is  before 
everything  else  an  art  that  belongs  to  society,  and  the 
executant,  whether  artist  or  amateur,  it  matters  lit- 
tle*  has  no  reason  for  existence  except  when  someone 
is  listening  to  him,  someone  whom  he  is  trying  to 
[1061 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

make  participate  in  his  sensations  of  art.  He  who 
never  plays  except  for  himself  alone  would  be  above 
all  a  perfect  egoist  in  the  first  place,  and,  secondly, 
to  speak  the  truth,  he  would  not  even  need  to  learn 
the  mastery  of  his  instrument,  it  would  suffice  for  him 
to  learn  to  read  music  fluently  in  order  to  satisfy  his 
own  pleasure. 

Many  kinds  of  apparatus  have  been  invented  with 
the  purpose  of  developing,  by  methods  of  gymnastics, 
the  strength  and  suppleness  of  the  fingers :  the  Dacty- 
llon  of  Henri  Herz,  the  Chirogymnaste  of  Henri 
Martin,  the  Veloce-mano,  the  leaden  rings,  the  hand- 
guides  (chiroplast),  the  dumb  pianos  -with  progres- 
sive stiffness,  and  many  others  which  would  look 
terrible  if  they  figured  in  the  museum  of  instruments 
of  torture  at  Nuremberg.  All  these  mechanical  de- 
vices are  detestable  or  inefficacious,  and  I  only  speak 
of  them  here  for  the  sake  of  strongly  discouraging 
their  use.  With  means  of  this  nature,  employed 
against  my  will,  many  of  my  pupils  have  gravely 
compromised  their  progress;  one  of  them,  Mr.  Louis 
H —  -  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  by  making  use  of  an 
extraordinary  and  complicated  apparatus  which  he 
made  himself  and  with  which  he  slept  to  force  his 
fingers  further  and  further  apart,  succeeded  in  crip- 
pling them  completely. 

A  similar  mishap  had  already  occurred  to  Robert 
Schumann :  with  the  aim  of  improving  his  technique, 
and  unknown  to  his  most  intimate  friends,  he  took  it 
into  his  head  to  tie  down  his  third  finger  firmly,  while 
exercising  the  four  others.  The  result  was  that  the 
[107] 


third  finger  was  attacked  by  paralysis,  which  soon  put 
it  out  of  service,  and  paralysis  progressively  attacked 
the  entire  hand.  All  these  machines  must  be  de- 
liberately rejected,  for  when  not  dangerous  they  are 
useless. 

Certain  auxiliary  studies  should  be  taken  along 
with  that  of  the  piano.  Just  as,  during  the  primary 
period,  we  must  consider  solfeggio  as  indispensable, 
and  pursue  this  study  long  and  seriously,  it  is  well 
that,  having  once  gained  a  step  higher,  the  young 
pianist  should  possess  some  notions  of  harmony; 
superficial  notions,  if  you  please,  for  the  amateur  who 
is  only  trying  to  gain  a  more  complete  understand- 
ing of  the  works  he  is  studying,  but  notions  that  must 
be  infinitely  more  extended  for  the  artist  who  intends 
to  develop  himself  in  the  art  of  interpretation,  and 
who  may,  moreover,  one  day  or  other  be  also  a  com- 
poser, which  very  frequently  happens  and  demon- 
strates a  fact,  which  we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak 
of  later, — the  influence  of  the  instruments  of  the  key- 
board upon  musical  inspiration  and  fecundity. 

This  study  of  harmony  is  not  imposed  upon  any 
other  instrumentalist  with  the  same  character  of  use- 
fulness as  upon  the  pianist.  In  reality,  the  piano,  the 
polyphonic  instrument,  par  excellence,  is  the  one 
which  by  its  very  construction  is  able  to  produce  the 
greatest  number  of  simultaneous  sounds  (with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  grand  organ),  that  which  admits  of 
the  greatest  complications,  various  parts  that  are  en- 
tangled, combining  with  one  another  superimposed 
melodies  that  form  counterpoint,  chords,  or  arpeggios 
[108] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

bristling  with  accidentals  which  are  not  always  easy 
to  read  correctly  or  to  interpret  well,  unless  we  have 
the  power  of  making  a  quick  analysis,  and  thus  pene- 
trating and  divining  the  intention  of  the  author.  A 
pianist  is  not  complete  unless  he  is  also  a  harmonist, 
were  it  only  for  the  sake  of  being  able  to  rectify,, 
in  case  of  need,  the  mistakes  in  printing  that  are  al- 
ways found  in  even  the  best  expurgated  editions  of 
works  so  complex  as  are  those  which  are  written  to-day 
for  the  piano.  But  this  is  the  least  of  its  uses.  Ta 
know  how  to  understand  and  appreciate  the  beauty 
of  the  works  which  he  interprets  is  indispensable  in 
order  that  he  may  execute  them  properly,  for  by  exe- 
cution we  do  not  mean  merely  a  correct  interpreta- 
tion, but  an  interpretation  that  is  intelligent,  inter- 
esting and  elevated,  which  cannot  be  attained  without 
taking  their  structure  and  harmonic  framework  into 
account. 

Despite  an  old  prejudice  which  seems  to  be  disap- 
pearing, it  is  not  at  all  hurtful  for  a  pianist  to  play 
the  organ,  even  if  he  has  no  idea  of  becoming  an  or- 
ganist. This  prejudice  may  have  had  some  justifica- 
tion formerly,  when  the  organ  keys  wrere  very  stiff 
and  hard  to  work;  up  to  a  certain  point,  they  might 
make  the  touch  heavy  and  deprive  it  of  some  of  its 
delicacy ;  but  nothing  of  this  is  to  be  feared  to-day, 
for  the  manufacturers  are  able  to  render  the  touch 
of  the  organ  as  light  as  that  of  the  best  pianos. 

This,  moreover,  is  exactly  Schumann's  opinion: 
"  Do  not  neglect  any  opportunity  of  practicing  on 
the  organ ;  there  is  no  instrument  so  efficacious  in  cor- 
[109] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

recting  the  errors  or  the  habits  of  a  bad  musical  edu- 
cation." 

What  the  organ  teaches  you  is  to  avoid  a  skipping, 
dry,  superficial  and  unstable  method  of  playing;  and 
also,  inversely,  the  heavy  and  slovenly  method  of 
those  who  drag  their  fingers  over  the  keys,  neglecting 
to  let  them  recover  at  the  proper  time,  for  these  two 
faults  are  intolerable ;  it  is  like  a  microscope  that  mag- 
nifies all  defects,  showing  them  in  their  most  hideous 
aspect.  It  teaches  integrity  of  technique. 

Everybody  has  not  a  Grand  Organ  at  his  disposal ; 
but  a  Harmonium,  which  can  render  a  similar  service, 
is  more  frequently  met  with.  Play  upon  this  instru- 
ment (or  a  Grand  Organ)  a  Bach  fugue  from  the 
Well-Tempered  Clavier  for  example,  or  a  piece  of 
Handel's,  having  previously  studied  them  carefully 
upon  the  piano  where  they  seemed  to  be  correctly 
rendered,  and  you  will  be  amazed  at  the  number  of 
unsuspected  mistakes  that  you  will  discover,  notes  re- 
leased too  soon,  held  too  long,  unevennesses,  gaps, 
etc.  This  will  make  you  more  careful  about  your 
rendering  before  you  try  a  new  experiment. 

Finally,  it  is  necessary  that  the  pianist,  without 
consequent  conceit,  should  realize  that,  by  the  very 
nature  of  his  instrument,  he  is  able  to  become  a  more 
perfect  musician  than  any  other  virtuoso.  None,  in 
reality,  finds  himself  confronted  with  more  complica- 
tions in  rapid  passages — I  am  not  speaking  of  the 
material  difficulties, — no  one  else  has  to  make  several 
melodic  parts  heard  simultaneously,  nor  to  bring  out 
a  song  with  one  hand  while  with  the  other,  and  very 
[110] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

often  the  same,  he  must  preserve  a  relative  but  real 
interest  in  figures  of  accompaniment,  arpeggios,  or 
contrapuntal  formulae.  The  literature  of  the  piano, 
in  works  of  the  highest  style,  is  the  most  complex  of 
all  musical  literatures.  By  its  compass,  that  is 
greater  than  that  of  the  orchestra,*  by  its  power  and 
by  the  infinite  variety  of  its  effects,  the  piano  authori- 
tatively seizes  the  preponderant  role,  wherever  it  is 
found. 

In  Chamber-music,  in  String  Quartets,  Quintets, 
Septets,  with  or  without  wind-instruments,  where 
there  is  no  piano,  it  is  implicitly  agreed  that  the  first 
violin  takes  the  lead ;  it  gives  the  signal  of  attack,  it 
indicates  the  combination  shadings,  the  rallentandos, 
the  organ-points,  finally  it  commands,  and  this  suits 
it,  because  there  must  alwa3rs  be  a  leader,  and  it  is 
well  fitted  for  this  part.  But  if  the  piano  takes 
a  part,  the  first  violin,  while  preserving  the  attitude  of 
command  habitual  to  it,  finds  itself  forced  to  take  into 
account  this  new  partner  whose  force  of  will  is  un- 
equalled ;  it  is  the  latter  now  that  imposes  its  time 
and  its  shading,  and  this  without  effort,  by  the  sole 
fact  that  it  is  irresistible,  representing  an  orchestra 
in  itself,  with  which,  moreover,  it  can  maintain  a 
struggle,  as  happens  in  Concertos.  If  each  instru- 
ment taken  by  itself  can  be  compared  to  a  military 
unit,  the  piano  is  a  whole  army  corps. 

But  I  am  wrong  to  make  use  of  such  comparisons, 
since  we  can  find  better  ones  without  going  outside  of 

*  The  piano  descends  six  notes  below  the  double-bass  and  rises 
a  third  above  the  flute,  extremities  of  the  classic  orchestra. 

[Ill] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  musical  domain.  Everybody  has  heard  Hunga- 
rian orchestras  with  their  keen  and  strident  cembalo, 
that  ancestor  of  the  piano,  which  gives  to  them  such  an 
individual  character  of  precision,  clearness  and  ner- 
vous force ;  here,  as  elsewhere,  it  is  the  first  violin,  the 
only  one  that  is  played  standing,  that  directs  the  band 
and  plays  the  part  of  the  conductor;  all  the  others 
obey  it,  following  it  with  most  amusing  facility  into 
the  rhythmic  by-ways  that  give  to  Hungarian  music 
so  strange  and  so  typical  a  character,  all  follow,  even 
the  cembalo;  but  if  the  latter  took  a  fancy  to  rob  the 
leader  of  its  authority  and  modify  the  interpretation 
to  its  own  taste,  it  would  carry  everything  before  it, 
not  one  would  be  able  to  liberate  itself  from  the  com- 
municative power  of  that  metallic  and  perpetual  ham- 
mering, and  the  unhappy  leader  would  find  itself  in 
the  annoying  situation  of  a  shepherd  who  is  not  in  ac- 
cord with  his  dog.  And  it  would  have  to  give  in. 

This  is  exactly  what  would  happen  in  Chamber- 
music  if  the  pianist  did  not  know  how  to  restrain  him- 
self, make  himself  flexible  and  conduct  himself  far 
more  as  a  musician  than  as  a  virtuoso,  although  a 
great  deal  of  skill  is  required  of  him  in  order  to  man- 
age to  subdue  his  piano,  which  is  really  nothing  but 
a  keyed  cembalo,*  and  prevent  it  from  showing  its 
lion's  claws,  and  asserting  its  dominating  strength. 
Only  very  great  artists  can  succeed  in  maintaining  the 
balance  without  effacing  themselves  in  an  exaggerated 
manner  and  attenuating  without  annihilating  the 
sound,  which  would  be  equally  harmful. 
*  Clavi-cembalo,  clavecin. 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

An  easy  experiment  will  clearly  demonstrate  the 
material  preponderance  of  the  piano  in  Chamber- 
music.  Get  somebody  to  play,  entirely  alone,  the  vio- 
lin, viola,  or  violoncello  part  of  any  piece  of  ensemble 
music  whatsoever:  you  will  gain  no  idea  of  what  the 
combination  of  the  instruments  will  produce.  Get 
somebody  to  play,  also  by  itself,  the  piano  part  of 
the  same  piece,  and  immediately,  with  a  very  slight 
effort  of  the  imagination,  you  will  be  able  to  divine 
what  will  be  the  general  effect  by  reconstructing  ap- 
proximately, with  your  mind,  the  other  missing  parts. 

When  we  reduce  the  piano  to  the  apparently  modest 
part  of  accompanist,  whether  for  an  instrumental  solo 
or  for  an  operatic  aria,  it  becomes  a  miniature  orches- 
tra of  which  the  pianist  is  the  conductor.  Awkwardly 
employed,  it  can  overwhelm,  annihilate,  or  totally  rout 
the  unhappy  soloist,  whilst  in  capable  hands,  it  sup- 
ports and  guides  him,  brings  out  his  good  points, 
shows  him  the  right  road  when  he  strays,  and  becomes 
his  most  precious  auxiliary,  the  artificer  of  his  success. 
The  singer  is  always  at  his  ease  when  he  is  accom- 
panied by  the  composer,  because  the  composer  is  al- 
ways an  artist  before  he  is  a  pianist.  More  than  any 
other  musician,  must  the  accompanist  possess  pres- 
ence of  mind,  sang-froid,  and  the  sense  of  what  is 
appropriate.  He  can  ruin  all,  or  save  all. 

Hence  the  importance  that  the  most  accomplished 
singers  attach  to  having  always  a  good  accompanist, 
and,  as  often  as  possible,  their  own  accompanist, 
without  whom  they  feel  as  if  they  were  deserted  and 
disabled. 

[113] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

I  hope  now  that  I  have  made  completely  clear  the 
importance  of  the  piano  in  whatever  service  it  may 
be  employed,  and  the  consequent  absolute  necessity 
(in  order  intelligently  to  manipulate  so  energetic  a 
mechanism,  which,  in  inexperienced  hands  can  so 
easily  become  a  disturber)  of  possessing  sound  knowl- 
edge of  technique  and  aesthetics. 

At  a  period  when  thousands  of  young  pianists  pos- 
sess an  inconceivable  finger  dexterity,  it  is  not  unin- 
teresting to  remind  them  of  the  true  mission  of  the 
simple  and  the  beautiful,  that  of  charming  and  not 
of  astounding  the  audience,  of  playing  less  for  show 
and  more  for  the  heart.  This  secret,  which  reveals 
the  true  artist,  can  only  be  learned  by  the  study 
of  the  great  masters,  aided  by  hearing,  as  often  as 
possible,  great  virtuosi, — those  who  in  addition  to  the 
prestige  of  execution  possess  a  high  intelligence  in 
matters  of  art.  It  is  also  necessary  to  know  how  to 
listen  attentively  to  good  singers,  for  they  can  often 
serve  as  models,  if  not  counsellors.  "  One  can  learn 
much  from  singers,  but  it  will  not  do  to  accept  all 
their  counsels,"  says  Schumann.  The  great  fault  of 
the  piano,  a  fault  inherent  to  its  nature,  is  dryness; 
it  cannot  sustain  the  tone,  and  if  any  one  ever  suc- 
ceeds in  giving  this  faculty  to  it,  as  has  several  times 
been  attempted  already,  it  will  be  the  piano  no  longer, 
but  a  new  instrument.  It  is  then  for  the  pianist,  by 
the  force  of  his  art,  to  lessen  and  make  this  charac- 
teristic imperfection  forgotten,  by  trying  to  imitate 
the  vocal  inflections  of  singers ;  this  is  why  he  should 
listen  to  them  attentively,  study  and  assimilate  their 
[114] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

methods,  and  try  to  imitate  them  or  come  as  near  it 
as  possible.  "  The  best  advice  that  we  can  give  to 
persons  who  occupy  themselves  seriously  with  the 
piano  is  to  learn,  to  study  and  to  analyze  the  beau- 
tiful art  of  singing.  With  this  end  in  view,  we  should 
never  neglect  an  opportunity  of  hearing  great  artists, 
whatever  may  be  their  instrument,  and  above  all  the 
great  singers ;  from  the  very  beginning  and  in  the 
first  stage  of  our  accomplishment,  we  should  know 
how  to  surround  ourselves  with  good  models."  * 

For  this  imitation,  a  great  help  to  success  in  pro- 
ducing the  illusion  of  tones  that  are  sustained  or 
swelled,  is  the  judicious  use  of  the  pedals.  Of 
these  the  great  majority  of  amateur  pianists,  and, 
what  is  more  to  be  regretted,  a  great  number  of  artists 
do  not  know  how  to  avail  themselves.  "  In  the  use 
of  pedals,  which  play  so  important  a  part  in  execu- 
tion, we  should  take  the  greatest  care  never  to  mix 
dissimilar  harmonies  and  thus  produce  disagreeable 
dissonances.  There  are  pianists  who  make  such  an 
abuse  of  the  pedals,  or  rather  they  use  them  with  so 
little  logic,  that  their  sense  of  hearing  is  perverted 
and  they  have  lost  the  appreciation  of  pure  har- 
mony." Now,  who  is  it  that  expresses  himself  thus? 
It  is  still  Thalberg,  that  is  to  say  the  man  who,  with 
Chopin,  carried  to  the  utmost  limit  of  ability  the  art 
of  using  the  pedals.  "  The  greatest  number  of 
pupils,"  the  learned  master,  Marmontel,  also  remarks 
upon  this  subject,  "  to  whom  the  use  of  the  loud 
pedal  is  permitted,  make  use  of  it  to  beat  the  time  " — 
*  Thalberg. 
[115] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

(we  have  already  mentioned  one  frequent  cause  of  this 
grotesque  use) — "  or,  better,  put  it  down  and  never 
let  it  go.  This  produces  a  frightful  cacophony,  to 
the  affliction  of  all  musicians  of  taste." 

It  would  be  better  to  abstain  entirely  from  using 
the  pedal  rather  than  employ  it  at  random ;  and  in 
truth,  in  all  classic  music  before  the  Beethoven  pe- 
riod, it  should  be  left  alone.  In  modern  music,  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  indispensable;  but  it  is  necessary  to 
learn  how  to  make  it  serve  you  and  never  allow  it  to 
produce  confusion  and  discord :  "  The  art  of  the 
pedal  does  not  consist  in  knowing  how  to  put  it  down, 
but  how  to  take  it  off."  j-  This  is  indeed  a  truth, 
the  importance  of  which  too  few  pianists  compre- 
hend. 

It  is  certain  that  the  study  of  harmony  contributes 
to  uproot  these  habits,  as  vicious  as  they  are  anti- 
artistic. 

Formerly,  and  not  so  very  long  ago  either,  it  was 
the  custom  to  play  a  prelude  on  the  piano.  It  even 
happened,  as  exaggeration  followed,  that  under  the 
pretext  of  preludes  some  performers  thus  improvised 
veritable  pieces  that  never  finished.  This  might  be 
charming  when  the  pianist  was  also  a  clever  im- 
proviser;  but,  as  this  was  the  exception,  more  often 
people  found  themselves  treated  to  lucubrations  of  a 
moment,  containing  more  nonsense  and  rambling  than 
anything  else. 

To  obviate  this  regrettable  condition,  some  nai've 

*  A.  Marmontel,  Histoire  du  piano. 
\  A.  Lavignac,  Uficole  de  la  ptdale. 

[116] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

and  well-intentioned  professors  had  the  idea  of  puo- 
lishing,  under  the  title  of  Preludes,  in  all  the  major 
and  minor  keys,  some  kinds  of  formulae  as  hideous  as 
they  were  pretentious,  which  the  performer  was  to 
learn  by  heart  and  then  be  credited  with  improvising. 
It  was  grotesque.  Another  annoying  thing  about  it 
was  that  these  formulae  having  to  serve  for  every 
piece  written  in  the  same  key,  if  there  were  several  on 
the  same  programme,  no  matter  what  inspired  air 
might  be  selected,  the  ridiculous  trick  was  discov- 
ered. 

A  sudden  change  in  fashion  occurred,  for  fashion 
meddles  with  everything,  and  now  preludes  are  out  of 
date,  which,  after  all,  is  much  better. 

There  are  three  cases,  however,  in  which  it  is  still 
necessary  to  know  how  to  improvise  a  few  chords : 

The  first  always  presents  itself  in  chamber-music, 
immediately  after  having  given  the  A  and  just  before 
beginning  the  piece. 

The  A  is  always  needed  for  the  instruments  to 
tune  by.  If,  after  the  horrible  cacophony  which  is 
the  result  of  this  ceremony  and  which  no  one  has  yet 
found  the  means  to  avoid,  we  were  immediately  to  at- 
tack the  first  chord  in  a  piece  in  E-flat,  for  instance, 
the  result  for  the  sensitive  hearer  would  be  an  im- 
pression of  discord,  very  fleeting  certainly,  but  never- 
theless painful.  Therefore,  it  is  better  to  prepare  him 
for  the  tonality  by  a  few  discreet  chords  that  will 
efface  from  his  memory  the  unavoidable  charivari  of 
the  tuning  of  the  instruments. 

Second  case:  if  one  should  have  to  play  in  sue- 
[117] 


cession  several  pieces  in  very  different  and  dissimilar 
keys  (a  thing  it  would  be  better  to  avoid  in  making 
up  the  programme),  it  is  judicious  to  weld  them  to- 
gether, or  to  separate  them,  by  a  rapid  modulation 
which  will  prevent  the  memory  of  the  first  piece  from 
spoiling  the  beginning  of  the  second.  (This  will  be 
a  little  less  of  a  shock. ) 

Third  case :  to  give  the  key  to  a  singer  whom  we  are 
accompanying,  especially  if  he  has  to  begin  with  the 
first  bar. 

Reduced  to  its  most  simple  expression,  a  few  chords 
or  a  few  arpeggi,  the  prelude  can  still  be  useful  to 
give  us  an  idea  of  the  degree  of  sonority,  resonance 
or  deadness,  of  a  hall,  or  of  an  instrument  with  which 
we  are  not  yet  familiar,  and  also  to  command  silence 
and  hush  disturbing  conversation. 

In  all  these  circumstances,  no  matter  how  brief 
may  be  the  series  of  improvised  chords,  in  order  that 
they  should  be  correct  and  not  displeasing,  and  in 
order  to  avoid  any  clashing  or  awkwardness,  the 
pianist  must  be  versed  in  the  practice  of  harmony  to 
a  greater  degree  than  any  of  his  associates  who  play 
on  other  instruments,  and  who  have  never,  or  but 
very  rarely,  to  manage  combined  notes. 

Everything  that  tends  to  develop  the  musical  spirit 
and  the  initiative  sense  is  good  for  him:  to  sing  in 
choruses,  serving  in  them  as  a  leader  in  the  attack, 
and  if  he  has  no  voice,  to  act  as  accompanist,  rehearse 
the  singers,  read  the  score,  make  transcriptions,  and, 
in  short,  serve  in  every  capacity  as  a  real  musician.  I 
should  like  to  sum  up  all  this  in  a  formula  that  is  as 
[118] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

simple  as  it  is  true :  The  pianist  who  is  nothing  but  a 
good  pianist  is  a  bad  pianist. 

If  I  have  thought  it  necessary  to  give  so  much 
space  to  everything  concerning  the  piano,  it  is  not 
merely  because  this  instrument  is  the  one  most  usually 
found  in  our  drawing-rooms.  It  is  more  particularly 
because  of  the  preponderant  part  that  it  plays  in  the 
musical  civilization  of  our  time. 

The  celebrated  Russian  pianist  and  composer,  A. 
Rubinstein,  did  not  hesitate  to  assert  his  convictions 
upon  this  subject :  "  Instrumental  music,"  he  said, 
"  is  man's  most  intimate  friend,  closer  than  his 
parents,  his  sisters,  or  his  comrades" — (?) — "This 
is  particularly  shown  in  misfortune ;  and  of  all  instru- 
ments the  one  that  best  plays  the  part  of  a  friend  is 
the  piano.  Therefore,  I  consider  the  teaching  of  the 
piano  as  a  great  benefit  to  humanity  and  I  am  not 
very  far  from  making  it  obligatory  " —(this  is  per- 
haps somewhat  excessive) — "  regarding  it,  be  it  well 
understood,  as  an  intimate  consolation  for  the  pupil 
and  not  as  a  means  of  shining  in  society."  * 

Did  Rubinstein  know  this  thought  of  Chateau- 
briand's, which  he  seems  to  have  tried  to  paraphrase: 
"  Music  puts  grief  to  sleep  in  troubled  hearts  "  ? 

The  piano  is  everybody's  instrument :  as  has  been 
already  established,  a  knowledge  of  it  is  useful,  in 
diverse  degrees  and  for  different  reasons,  to  every  in- 
strumentalist, without  exception ;  it  is  indispensable 
to  singers  and  teachers  of  singing;  moreover,  the 
*  Anton  Rubinstein,  Notes  et  Aphorismes. 

[119] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

piano  for  other  reasons  is  of  extreme  usefulness  for 
the  composer,  as  we  shall  see  later.  Often,  too,  it  is 
by  means  of  the  piano,  which  in  some  measure  sets  a 
score  before  jour  eyes  and  beneath  your  fingers,  that 
you  become  a  composer.  Witness  the  great  number 
of  worthy  composers  who  commenced  to  express  them- 
selves as  simple  pianists.  (I  think  it  superfluous  to 
add  here  that  every  pianist  who  intends  to  devote 
himself  to  composition,  even  if  solely  for  his  own  in- 
strument, should  submit,  at  least  partially,  to  the  spe- 
cial studies  for  a  composer,  and  not  give  himself  up 
blindly  to  his  instinct  and  the  routine  fascination  ex- 
ercised by  the  keyboard.)  It  is  the  sole  instrument 
upon  which  we  can  condense  a  score,  the  only  one 
which  in  every  case  is  sufficient  unto  itself,  without  the 
aid  of  any  other.  From  the  beginning  to  the  end  of 
the  modern  studies,  and  during  the  entire  life  of  the 
artist,  its  indispensableness  is  perpetually  making 
itself  felt  for  everybody;  and  certainly  of  all  instru- 
ments it  is  the  one  that  plays  the  greatest  part  in  the 
diffusion  and  the  expansion  of  the  art. 

If  it  is  correct  to  say  that  solfeggio  has  always 
been  and  will  always  be,  under  one  form  or  another, 
the  solid  basis  of  all  deep  musical  instruction,  we  may 
also  say  that  the  piano  is  its  most  convenient  and 
practical  pivot,  the  one  around  which  everything  re- 
volves and  upon  which  all  branches  of  teaching  are 
grafted.  It  is  the  instrument  par  excellence  of  every 
musician. 

Everything  therefore  pointed  to  the  propriety  of 
giving  it  a  very  large  place  here;  and  this  so  much 
[120] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

the  more  because  all  that  we  have  said  on  this  subject, 
addressing  pianists  in  particular,  besides  its  direct 
utility  for  them,  can  also,  with  a  few  slight  modifica- 
tions, be  made  use  of  in  the  study  of  every  other  in- 
strument. 


If  we  know  how  to  play  the  piano,  the  study  of  the 
Harmonium  is  almost  child's  play ;  if  not,  we  must 
begin  by  learning  the  piano. 

In  reality,  a  very  well-trained,  supple,  and,  above 
all,  precise  technique  is  the  first  indispensable  re- 
quirement, and  it  is  not  upon  the  harmonium  that  it 
can  be  acquired.  Apart  from  the  fact  that  it  would 
be  insupportable,  it  would  be  entirely  insufficient,  the 
keys  of  that  instrument  not  offering  the  necessary 
resistance  for  this  finger  gymnastics. 

Next,  it  remains  for  us  to  learn  and  understand  the 
functions  of  this  instrument,  with  its  various  regis- 
ters, corresponding  at  once  to  various  timbres  and 
different  octaves ;  then  the  management  of  the  bellows 
(and  sometimes  the  knee-piece,  particularly  in  Mus- 
tel's  harmonium  of  double  expression,  the  most  per- 
fect instrument  of  this  type),  on  which  depend  the 
modifications  of  sonority  and  shadings,  which  caused 
it  to  be  called  at  first :  orgue-expressif. 

All  this  is  a  matter  of  a  few  lessons  at  most  and  a 
few  weeks  of  attention,  with  very  little  daily  or  in- 
termittent study,  which,  in  this  case,  is  of  little  im- 
portance. We  often  see  pianists  teaching  them- 
selves this  instrument  without  any  text-book  and 
9  [  121  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

without  the  help  of  any  teacher,  and  thus  learning 
to  make  very  good  use  of  it ;  but  if  we  want  to  go  so 
far  as  to  get  from  it  all  the  delicate  effects  of  sonor- 
ity of  which  it  is  capable  and  play  it  like  a  true 
virtuoso,  a  longer  period  of  study  is  necessary,  which 
varies  according  to  the  instinct  and  the  delicacy  of 
touch  of  each  player. 

The  study  of  the  harmonium  may  be  a  good  ap- 
proach to  that  of  the  Grand  Organ. 

V.  THE  ORGAN 

We  shall  speak  here  only  of  the  GRAND  ORGAN  con- 
sidered as  an  instrument. 

This  mode  of  expression  may  seem  strange  to  those 
who  are  ignorant  that  its  study  may  be  considered 
from  another  point  of  view :  I  owe  them  an  explana- 
tion. The  use  of  the  Great  Organ  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  demands  an  organist  of  three  com- 
plete and  distinct  kinds  of  knowledge:  that  of  the 
instrument  itself  and  its  management ;  that  of  impro- 
visation; and  that  of  the  liturgy;  and  very  frequently 
it  is  this  combination  of  attainments  that  is  un- 
derstood by  the  study  of  the  organ;  studies  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Organist  would  be  better. 

The  Roman  liturgy  has  no  place  in  this  book ;  of 
improvisation,  we  shall  have  a  few  words  to  say  later 
when  speaking  of  composition ;  only  the  study  of  the 
practice  of  the  instrument  considered  by  itself  can 
find  a  place  in  the  present  chapter. 

This  having  been  explained,  let  us  begin  by  estab- 
[  122  ] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

lishing  the.  great  difference  between  the  study  of 
the  organ  and  that  of  all  other  instruments,  for  the 
reason  that  there  do  not  exist  two  organs  that  are  ex- 
actly alike.  When  we  know  how  to  play  one  piano, 
we  know  how  to  play  all  pianos;  a  violin  may  be  good 
or  bad,  but  it  resembles  all  other  violins;  while  what 
is  called  an  organ  varies  infinitely  .according  to  cir- 
cumstances, among  which  are:  1st,  the  sum  of  money 
spent  in  building  it ;  2d :  the  place  that  is  to  be 
given  to  it ;  3d :  the  dimensions  and  the  acoustic  qual- 
ities of  the  building  which  it  is  called  upon  to  fill 
with  its  waves  of  sound ;  4th :  the  kind  of  service  that 
is  required  of  it  (the  simple  accompaniment  of  sing- 
ing or  the  execution  of  organ  pieces)  ;  5th:  the  skil- 
f ulness  or  simply  the  fancy  of  the  manufacturer ;  6th : 

— — ,  etc., etc.     From  all  of  which  it  may 

result  that  the  instrument  represents  the  volume  of 
a  large  upright  piano,  or  attain  the  importance  of  a 
house  of  four  stories.  An  organ  may  have  a  single 
stop  and  a  single  row  of  pipes,  and  it  is  already  an 
organ ;  it  may  have  two  stops,  ten  stops,  twenty,  thir- 
ty, a  hundred  or  two  hundred  stops ;  it  may  have  one, 
two,  three,  four  or  five  manuals;  it  may  have  pedals 
or  not,  and  it  is  still  an  organ.  Its  stops  may  be  dis- 
tributed in  a  thousand  different  ways  among  its 
various  manuals  and  be  controlled  or  not  by  combi- 
nation pedals  or  other  mechanism ;  it  may  have  been 
made  for  many  centuries  or  according  to  the  modern 
principles  of  modern  construction,  it  may  be  of  the 
most  nai've  simplicity  or  of  an  inextricable  complica- 
tion, and  worked  by  electricity  from  a  distance;  and 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

it  is  neither  more  nor  less  than  an  organ.  The 
master-maker  of  organs,  or  organ-maker,  who  is 
himself  a  great  artist,  and  should  possess  a  great 
knowledge,  in  acoustics  as  well  as  mechanics,  never 
makes  two  instruments  exactly  alike.  The  most 
colossal  organ  in  the  world,  to  my  knowledge,  is  ihat 
of  the  Town  Hall  in  Sydney,  Australia,  made  by  the 
house  of  W.  Hill  &  Son,  of  London,  which  contains 
127  stops,  162  registers,  9,966  pipes,  governed  by 
five  manuals,  a  pedal  board  and  28  combination 
pedals,  and  cost  the  trifling  sum  of  $90,000  (450,- 
000  francs).  So  the  question  here  is  not  to  learn  to 
play  any  determined  instrument,  but  to  learn  how  to 
make  use  of  any  organ  whatsoever,  whether  we  are 
taken  unawares,  or  have  several  days  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  it.  This  last  condition  naturally  is  so 
much  the  more  strongly  imposed  the  more  important 
and  complicated  an  organ  is,  and  no  organist,  how- 
ever learned  and  experienced  he  may  be,  would  be  ca- 
pable of  obtaining,  without  preliminary  practice,  ex- 
actly all  the  desired  effects  of  sonority  from  the 
organ  at  Riga  (Russia),  which  has  124  stops,  or  that 
of  Notre  Dame  at  Paris,  which  has  110,  or  that  of  St. 
Sulpice,  which  numbers  118.  But,  let  us  say  also, 
such  instruments  are  rare  and  splendid  exceptions, 
and  only  artists  of  the  first  order  can  be  called  upon 
to  put  them  into  play.  On  the  other  hand,  every  or- 
ganist should  know  how  to  familiarize  himself  quickly 
with  an  organ  of  ordinary  dimensions,  with  30  or  40 
stops  distributed  among  two  or  three  manuals,  such 
as  are  found  pretty  nearly  everywhere. 

r 


To  acquire  this  faculty,  to  become  capable  of  mak- 
ing a  convenient  use  of  any  instrument  whatever 
(which  we  assume,  be  it  understood,  to  be  in  good  con- 
dition), two  things  are  necessary:  first,  we  must  study 
in  books  the  construction  of  the  organ,  ancient  as 
well  as  modern,  so  as  to  understand  the  use  and 
function  of  each  of  its  parts ;  and  frequent  the  shops 
of  the  manufacturers  of  the  Grand  Organ  so  that  we 
may  see  them  close  at  hand  and  attentively  examine 
the  instruments  that  are  being  constructed  or  re- 
paired, taken  to  pieces  bit  by  bit,  as  also  try  them  and 
make  their  divers  combinations  work  when  they  have 
been  reconstructed.  Organ  builders  are  always  very 
obliging  and  helpful  to  young  organists  who  ex- 
press a  desire  to  inform  themselves  in  matters  of  manu- 
facture, knowing  well  that  it  is  the  most  certain  way 
for  them  to  become  skilful  in  the  management  of  so 
complicated  and  so  varied  an  instrument. 

The  second  thing,  when  once  the  function  of  each 
piece  of  machinery  is  learned,  is  to  frequent  the  so- 
ciety of  organists,  and  obtain  permission  from  them 
to  listen  close  beside  them,  so  as  to  watch  them  play 
and  examine  the  way  in  which  they  make  use  of  the 
resources  of  their  instrument,  to  which  they  are  ac- 
customed and  the  qualities  and  defects  of  which  they 
consequently  know.  As  far  as  possible,  we  must  not 
limit  ourselves  to  the  study  of  a  single  organist  in  this 
way,  but  extend  this  study  to  several,  in  order  to  make 
comparisons  between  them  and  their  methods  as  well 
as  between  their  various  instruments. 

It  is  not  until  we  feel  well  equipped  with  all  these 
[125] 


observations  and  are  conscious  that  we  know  what  a 
Grand  Organ  really  is,  that  it  is  time  to  take  lessons 
and  place  our  hands  upon  the  keyboard. 

Those  who  proceed  differently  will  find  their  prog- 
ress retarded,  because  they  do  not  fully  comprehend 
what  they  are  doing  and  what  they  are  made  to  do. 

This  necessity  of  knowing  and  comprehending  the 
construction  of  the  instrument,  upon  which  I  insist, 
must  not  be  regarded  as  isolated  and  peculiar  to  the 
organ.  Every  instrumentalist  understands  the  func- 
tion of  his  instrument  without  having  to  make  a  spe- 
cial study  of  it :  the  violinist  has  no  need  to  have  any- 
one explain  that  the  rubbing  of  the  bow  produces  the 
tones,  and  that  the  intonation  is  changed  by  shorten- 
ing the  vibrating  portion  of  the  strings  by  means  of 
the  fingers  of  his  left  hand,  all  this  happens  under  his 
eyes ;  the  flutist  is  not  long  in  grasping  the  mechan- 
ism of  his  flute,  the  utility  of  the  keys,  and  the  stops 
that  he  manages  with  his  fingers;  but  it  is  otherwise 
with  the  organist,  who  is  called  upon  to  make  intelli- 
gent use  of  an  extraordinarily  complicated  mechan- 
ism, all  of  which  is  hidden  and  shut  up  from  him,  with 
the  exception  of  the  controlling  parts,  the  keys  of 
the  manuals  and  the  stops  of  the  registers.  In  order 
that  he  may  know  his  instrument  in  all  its  complexity, 
as  the  others  know  theirs  in  their  simplicity,  he  must 
make  a  little  preliminary  study  which  is  not  required 
from  them, — that  is  the  only  difference. 

Two  conditions  only  are  indispensable  for  under- 
taking the  study  of  an  organ :  being  sufficiently  tall 
to  be  able  to  work  the  pedals  easily,  while  seated  easily 
[126] 


on  the  bench  and  without  having  to  stand  up  even  for 
the  most  distant  pedals,  and  being  able  to  play  the 
piano  perfectly. 

But,  some  one  will  object,  the  organ  is  much  older 
than  the  piano!  then  how  did  they  learn  to  play  the 
organ  before  the  piano  was  invented?  This  objec- 
tion is  very  just;  however,  it  would  not  be  formulated 
by  one  who  had  examined,  as  we  have  advised  above, 
the  organs  of  different  periods,  particularly  those 
anterior  to  the  invention  of  the  piano,  that  is  to 
say,  those  that  have  now  been  in  existence  for  more 
than  two  centuries.  In  those  days,  the  keys  of  the  or- 
gan were  almost  as  hard  to  manipulate,  to  manoeuvre 
would  be  more  correct,  as  the  Carillons  in  Holland, 
where  it  is  necessary  to  strike  the  keys  with  a  blow 
of  the  fist.  A  great  expenditure  of  force  was  re- 
quired, and  the  most  skilful  virtuosi  could  never  have 
dreamed  of  the  rapidity  and  velocity  which  are  to-day 
as  easy  on  the  organ  as  on  the  piano.  The  progress 
of  its  manufacture  has  advantageously  modified  the 
instrument  from  beginning  to  end.  It  is  absolutely 
certain  that  the  illustrious  John  Sebastian  Bach,  as 
well  as  his  contemporaries,  Buxtehude  and  Couperin, 
both  celebrated  organists  of  the  Seventeenth  Century, 
the  one  in  Denmark  and  the  other  in  France,  had  to 
execute  his  fugues  and  his  toccata,  perhaps  some- 
times with  regret,  in  a  movement  infinitely  slower  than 
is  possible  to  the  ordinary  organists  of  to-day,  who, 
let  us  say  in  passing,  sometimes  abuse  the  suppleness 
of  the  modern  instrument's  emission  of  tone  and  per- 
vert the  spirit  of  the  Old  Masters  of  the  organ  by  de- 
[127] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

priving  it  of  a  part  of  its  nobility  and  grandeur.  A 
fugue  or  any  piece  whatsoever  of  the  time  of  Bach  and 
Handel  always  gains  by  being  executed  sedately, 
broadly,  and  at  a  speed  possible  to  the  organs  of  their 
period,  and  this  is  the  only  way  in  which  its  character 
is  preserved.  But  this  is  a  parenthesis.  Before  the 
piano  existed,  there  were  the  Clavecin,  the  Spinet  and 
the  Virginals,  and  it  was  upon  these  ancestors  of  the 
piano  that  the  knowledge  of  the  keyboard  was  ac- 
quired. All  organists  were  then  skilful  clavecinists 
also. — It  must  also  be  remembered  that  at  that  time, 
when  the  practice  of  music  was  far  from  being  so 
common  as  it  is  to-day,  there  were  infinitely  fewer  mu- 
sicians than  there  are  at  present,  that  the  amateur  was 
nothing  but  a  simple  listener  more  or  less  enlightened 
and  initiated  in  its  technique  or  aesthetics,  but  he  never 
practiced  the  art  himself,  and  that  the  organs  as  well 
as  the  organists  and  Maltres  de  Chapelle  might  be 
counted.  When  a  musician  embraced  this  career,  he 
consecrated  his  entire  life  to  it ;  and  from  that  time  it 
mattered  little  if  the  novitiate  was  long  and  arduous. 
Now,  things  have  greatly  changed ;  the  smallest 
chapel  has  its  organ,  so  it  must  have  its  organist ;  and 
many  amateurs  are  ready  to  assume  this  office  tem- 
porarily without  any  idea  of  making  a  career  of  it, 
having  simply  in  view  the  very  real  and  elevated 
pleasure  that  every  musician  experiences  at  the  mere 
contact  of  the  organ  manual.  So  this  is  the  reply  to 
the  above  objection:  Fewer  learned;  they  learned  at 
the  expenditure  of  more  time  and  labour;  they  ob- 
tained smaller  results. 

[128] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

The  great  and  celebrated  organists  of  the  past  cen- 
turies would  probably  be  astounded  if  they  could  hear 
their  immortal  works  executed  to-day  on  one  of  our 
perfected  instruments  by  our  Guilmants,  Widors  or 
Saint-Saens  with  a  virtuosity,  an  ease,  a  variety  of 
timbre  and  a  suppleness  of  expression,  which  must 
have  been  their  desideratum,  but  of  which  they  never 
could  have  dreamed,  owing  to  the  condition  of  the  or- 
gan manufacture  in  their  time. 

It  is  not  only  necessary  that  the  apprentice  of  the 
organ  should  be  able  to  play  the  piano  very  well,  but 
he  should  devote  himself  especially  on  this  instrument 
to  the  study  of  the  legato  style  and  pieces  that  have 
several  parts  under  the  hand,  such  as  the  etudes  of 
Cramer,  Clementi's  Gradus  ad  Parnassum,  the  Pre- 
ludes and  Fugues  of  the  Well-Tempered  Clavier  by 
John  Sebastian  Bach,  and  the  fugues  of  Handel  and 
Mendelssohn,  which  constitute  an  excellent  appren- 
ticeship for  the  practice  of  the  organ.  In  devoting 
ourselves  to  this  preparatory  study,  it  is  important  to 
take  scrupulous  care  in  preserving  for  each  note,  and 
for  each  voice,  its  integral  value,  and  in  not  lifting 
the  finger  too  soon  or  too  late,  even  for  the  fraction  of 
a  second,  using  for  this  purpose  what  is  called  sub- 
stituted fingering,  which  alone  is  favourable  to  con- 
scientious execution,  while  thoroughly  realizing  that 
those  infinitesimal  defects  of  precision,  that  are  even 
imperceptible  upon  the  piano,  become  monstrous  on 
the  organ,  where  they  produce  either  gaps  or  discords 
that  are  equally  painful  and  intolerable.  We  can 
see  by  this  that  to  play  perfectly  on  the  piano  is  not 
[129] 


sufficient,  but  that  it  is  necessary  to  play  with  a  con- 
scientiousness and  a  clearness  which  very  few  pianists, 
even  the  most  skilful,  take  the  trouble  to  do.  And  for 
this,  it  is  not  necessary  for  them  to  neglect  the  other 
special  pianistic  qualities,  for  everything  that  makes 
them  adroit  and  agile  upon  the  piano  will  also  be 
found  useful  for  the  organ. 

Another  kind  of  agility  of  quite  a  special  nature, 
for  no  other  instrument  demands  it,  will  have  to  be 
acquired,  namely,  that  of  the  feet  and  legs ;  for  the 
working  of  the  pedals  is  nothing  else  than  a  real  key- 
board whose  keys  are  very  much  larger  than  any  oth- 
ers; and  embraces,  moreover,  in  modern  organs,  a 
compass  of  about  two  octaves  and  a  half.  To  facili- 
tate this  special  study,  many  piano  manufacturers 
make  a  kind  of  pedal  with  strings  and  hammers  that 
can  be  placed  underneath  the  piano,  thus  permitting 
one  to  work  at  home.  This  is  an  economy  of  time  and 
a  very  great  convenience ;  if  one  cannot  be  procured, 
it  is  very  necessary  to  work  on  an  organ. 

We  have  only  spoken  as  yet  of  preparatory  studies ; 
the  others  imperatively  demanded  the  intervention  of  a 
teacher.  The  question  is  to  apply  to  the  touch  of  the 
organ  what  we  have  already  learned  on  the  piano,  and 
bringing  it  to  still  greater  perfection ;  to  become  in- 
itiated into  the  management  of  the  registers  and  their 
multiple  combinations,  resulting  in  infinite  varieties  of 
timbres  and  sonorous  effects  of  incalculable  number; 
to  acquire  the  particularly  pure  and  elevated  style 
that  befits  the  King  of  Instruments,  and  finally  to 
become  worthy  of  the  title  of  organist,  which  may 
[130] 


be  considered  as  a  title  of  nobility  for  every  mu- 
sician. 

I  fear  I  may  insult  the  reader  by  adding  here  that  if 
a  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  harmony  is  indispensable 
to  the  pianist,  it  is  ten  times  more  so  to  the  organist, 
who  would  do  well,  moreover,  to  add  a  few  notions 
of  counterpoint  if  he  wishes  to  penetrate  deeply  into 
the  spirit  of  the  most  authoritative  works  of  his 
repertory. 

At  every  period  of  life,  if  a  man  has  remained 
agile  and  adroit  in  the  use  of  his  hands  and  feet,  if 
one  is  a  good  pianist  and  harmonist,  and  if  to  these 
acquired  qualities  is  added  the  natural  one  of  having 
rather  large  hands,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  him 
from  becoming  a  good  organist.  The  amount  of 
daily  work  need  scarcely  exceed  three  or  four  hours ; 
more  would  be  useless  and  fatiguing. 

A  certain  maturity  of  mind  is  expedient  for  this 
great  and  beautiful  study,  which,  nevertheless,  may 
be  commenced  at  the  age  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  years,  if 
the  required  conditions  are  fulfilled. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  if  the  end  sought  is 
merely  the  accompanying  of  hymns  upon  a  very  sim- 
ple organ,  the  studies  can  be  greatly  curtailed. 

If,  on  the  contrary,  it  is  a  question  of  playing  the 
Grand  Organ  in  a  Catholic  church,  the  studies  of 
Fugue,  Composition,  Improvisation,  Plain-Song  and 
Liturgy  must  be  added,  as  we  have  said  above,  and  it 
then  becomes  a  very  complex  science. 


[131] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 


VI.  THE  STRINGS  :  VIOLIN,  VIOLA,  VIOLONCELLO  AND 
DOUBLE-BASS 

To  understand  thoroughly  the  difficulty  attached 
to  the  study  of  Stringed  Instruments  played  with 
the  Bow,  their  action  must  be  taken  into  account ;  for 
it  is  as  complicated  in  reality  as  it  is  simple  in  appear- 
ance. In  this  each  hand  has  an  absolutely  distinct 
employment,  which  is  not  the  case  in  any  other  class  of 
instruments. 

The  left  hand  supports  the  instrument ;  and,  at  the 
same  time,  by  the  pressure  of  its  fijigers  upon  the 
strings,  the  vibrations  of  which  it  shortens  (or  cuts  off 
into  sections  for  harmonic  notes),  it  determines  the 
absolute  pitch  of  the  tones;  it  is  then  upon  the  left 
hand  alone  that  accuracy  depends,  and  we  can  form 
an  idea  of  the  precision  that  it  must  acquire,  when  we 
realize  that  placing  the  finger  a  tenth  of  a  milli- 
metre (.03937  inch)  out,  and  sometimes  even  less  in 
the  highest  treble,  will  produce  a  note  off  the  pitch. 
This  is  not  in  the  least  an  exaggeration,  and  ex- 
plains why  artists  who  play  with  rigorously  pure  in- 
tonation are  so  rare ;  moreover,  this  pressure  has  to  be 
made  with  a  certain  force,  without  which  the  tones 
lack  cleanness ;  and  as  the  stringed  instruments  are 
very  often  called  upon  to  furnish  passages  of  extreme 
rapidity,  a  very  great  agility  is  indispensable  to  it  in 
addition.  The  qualities  required  of  the  left  hand 
therefore  are  strength,  precision,  cleverness  and 
agility. 

[132] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

The  right  hand  holds  the  bow :  upon  it  principally 
depends  all  that  belongs  to  expression,  the  greater 
or  less  intensity  of  the  tones,  the  most  energetic  as 
well  as  the  most  tender,  or  most  passionate  nuances, 
the  most  subtle  inflections  or  accents,  as  delicate  as 
and  even  more  varied  than  those  of  the  human  voice, 
brilliancy  and  dash,  heat,  warmth  and  breadth ;  it  also 
assists  largely  in  the  rapid  action. 

"  The  instruments  of  the  bow,  particularly  the  vio- 
lin and  the  violoncello,  are  not  limited,  as  are  the 
wind  instruments,  to  a  small  number  of  sound-char- 
acteristics; their  timbre  has  an  infinite  variety  of 
shadings,"  *  according  as  the  point,  the  middle  or 
the  nut  of  the  bow  is  used,  according  as  it  is  held  level 
or  inclined  more  or  less  to  the  side,  according  as  the 
string  is  attacked  near  the  bridge  or  the  fingerboard, 
even  over  the  fingerboard,  according  to  the  various 
kinds  of  bowing,  whether  up  or  down,  the  principal 
of  which  in  French  are  called  by  the  following 
names:  lie  or  coule,  the  grand  detache,  the  detache 
sec,  or  martele,  the  sdutille,  the  jete,  the  staccato, 
etc.  The  use  of  the  bow  is  a  whole  art  by  itself.  We 
must  therefore  demand  of  the  right  hand  incompar- 
able suppleness,  accompanied  by  extreme  lightness 
and  the  greatest  vigour. 

The  two  hands,  each  on  its  own  account  and  by  dif- 
ferent means,  join  in  producing  beauty  and  variety 
of  tone,  that  constant  preoccupation  of  every  virt- 
uoso. Their  perfect  agreement  produces  the  bal- 
ance of  the  whole  and  the  perfection  of  the  execution, 
*  Gevaert,  Nouveau  traiU  d 'instrumentation. 

[103] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  difficulty  of  which  is  so  great  that  no  one  would 
dare  to  attempt  it,  as  it  seems  almost  unattainable 
when  we  analyze  it  closely,  unless  he  had  as  an  en- 
couraging example  a  considerable  number  of  instru- 
mentalists who  have  been  able  to  vanquish  it  by 
obstinate  labour.  This  execution  is  also  very  soon 
aided  hy  a  peculiar  instinct,  thanks  to  which  the  pupil 
is  no  longer  conscious  of  the  prodigies  of  skill  that  he 
performs  every  moment. 

Contrary  to  the  keyboard  instruments,  the  prodig- 
iously complicated  mechanism  of  which  is  the  work  of 
the  manufacturer,  stringed  instruments  possess  abso- 
lutely none:  a  wooden  box,  four  strings  of  sheep's 
entrails  and  a  few  strands  of  horsehair, — this  is  all 
that  the  artist  holds  in  his  hands  to  produce  the  most 
varied  emotions.  If  the  result  obtained  be  compared 
with  the  simplicity  of  the  means  employed,  it  will 
be  acknowledged  that  it  is  amazing  and  phenome- 
nal ;  nothing  is  truer,  however,  and  this  total  absence 
of  mechanical  transmission,  which  leaves  man's  hand  in 
direct  and  intimate  contact  with  the  vibrating  string, 
is  exactly  what  produces  that  impression  of  vitality 
and  penetrating  warmth  which  is  the  chief  character- 
istic of  these  instruments  and  constitutes  their  re- 
markable beauty.  The  man  and  the  instrument  grow 
to  be  but  one  individual,  or  more  exactly,  the  instru- 
ment is  nothing  but  an  extra  organ  added  to  the  nat- 
ural organs,  that  we  come  so  to  identify  it  with  our- 
selves, that  we  set  it  in  action,  like  the  other  organs, 
under  the  simple  influence  of  our  will  only,  without, 
further  troubling  about  the  means  employed,  and 
[134] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

without  even  dreaming  of  analyzing  them.  This  be- 
comes instinctive,  as  a  new  vital  function  would  be* 
we  play  as  naturally  as  we  should  sing,  and  it  is  by 
this  sign,  this  complete  oblivion  of  all  preoccupations 
of  a  material  order,  that  the  artist  can  most  surely 
recognize  that  he  has  at  last  become  the  master  of  his 
instrument.  Up  to  this  point,  he  is  nothing  but  a 
simple  apprentice. 

Outside  of  his  studies,  that  are  far  more  engaging 
than  arduous,  the  normal  programme  of  which  we  are 
about  to  outline,  it  is  also  well  for  the  pupil  to  ac- 
custom himself  early,  not  only  to  tune  his  instrument, 
but  to  clean  it  and  keep  it  in  good  condition,  and  him- 
self to  make  certain  little  ordinary  repairs  that  will 
keep  it  in  perpetual  order,  such  as  replacing  secun- 
dum  artem,  a  broken  string,  setting  up  in  its  exact 
place  the  bridge  that  has  been  accidentally  moved, 
and  assuring  the  good  working  of  the  pegs,  mat- 
ters which  do  not  call  for  the  intervention  of  the 
violin-repairer,  and  which  one  learns  to  do  much  bet- 
ter for  oneself  and  more  in  accordance  with  one's  own 
ideas. 

Later,  he  should  teach  himself  to  recognize  and  ap- 
preciate the  artistic,  if  not  the  commercial,  value  of  a 
good  instrument,  to  distinguish  the  schools  and  great 
violin-makers  otherwise  than  by  the  label,  very  often 
fallacious,  lying  at  the  bottom  of  the  sound-box;  cc 
distinguish  an  old  instrument  from  a  clever  imitation, 
in  fact,  to  act  as  an  expert,  if  only  for  his  own  profit, 
so  that  he  shall  not  be  duped  on  that  day,  when,  as  the 
reward  for  his  labours,  he  wants  to  make  himself  a 
[135] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

present  of  a  valuable  instrument,  a  battle-horse,  the 
supreme  and  legitimate  desideratum  of  every  great 
artist. 

THE  VIOLIN 

The  VIOLIN  is,  perhaps,  the  most  difficult  of  all  in- 
struments to  play  very  well.  At  first,  the  study  is  un- 
grateful and  irritating  to  the  nerves ;  but  this  does  not 
last  very  long;  and  the  learner  soon  gains  a  little 
power;  it  is  when  he  attempts  to  go  beyond  this  and 
attain  real  virtuosity  that  courageous  and  persistent 
efforts,  entailing  a  fatigue  that  may  sometimes  be- 
come almost  painful,  are  often  necessary. 

Therefore,  it  is  well  to  begin  young,  and  very 
soon,  to  get  rid  of  those  irritating  difficulties  of  an 
elementary  nature  that  are  far  more  painful  to  face 
when  one  is  of  an  age  to  suffer  from  their  aridity. 
Taking  the  average  opinion  of  a  number  of  the  most 
experienced  professors,  it  would  seem  that  the  most 
favourable  age  to  begin  is  from  six  to  eight  3rears. 
However,  it  is  not  well  to  hurry  too  much,  for,  on  the 
one  hand,  a  certain  strength  is  needed,  and  on  the 
other,  it  might  be  hurtful  to  the  physical  develop- 
ment; the  pose  of  a  violinist,  which  is  not  absolutely 
natural,  particularly  with  regard  to  the  left  arm,  de- 
mands a  certain  effort  till  he  has  become  completely 
accustomed  to  it.  Now,  this  position  is  of  capital  im- 
portance, and  the  good  attitude  of  a  violinist  has  an 
influence  upon  his  playing,  his  tone  and  his  agility,  to 
a  degree  unknown  to  any  other  instrumentalist.  We 
can  venture  to  judge  of  the  worth  of  a  violinist  before 
[136] 


THE    STUDY    OP   INSTRUMENTS 

he  has  played  a  single  note,  by  merely  seeing  the  man- 
ner in  which  he  plants  his  feet  and  holds  his  violin; 
therefore  the  best  professors  are  those,  who,  from  the 
very  beginning,  pay  most  attention  to  giving  their 
young  pupils  a  perfectly  correct  position,  which  for  a 
long  time  will  be  the  object  of  their  care.  Some  of 
them  advise  practising  before  a  mirror,  which  is  also 
done  by  singers  who  want  to  get  rid  of  the  habit  of 
making  grimaces;  this  is  not  a  bad  idea.  Therefore, 
on  account  of  this  somewhat  forced  position,  to  be- 
gin too  early,  before  the  growth  is  sufficiently  ad- 
vanced, particularly  with  young  girls,  might  entail 
a  slight  curvature  of  the  vertebrate  column,  which  it 
would  be  prudent  to  watch.  This  is  the  sole  danger 
of  premature  study,  for  the  fear  that  some  people 
have  that  the  vibration  of  the  strings  is  communicated 
to  the  chest  and  causes  trouble  is  pure  illusion.  At 
ten  years  of  age,  it  is  a  little  late  to  begin;  at  eigh- 
teen, it  is  too  late  if  you  want  to  acquire  the  talent  of 
a  virtuoso;  but  even  then,  with  strong  will,  you  can 
become  an  orchestra-player,  a  useful  second  violin,  if 
you  are  already  a  good  musician. 

No  condition  of  conformation  is  rigorously  req- 
uisite provided  that  the  arms  and  hands  are  in  good 
condition ;  however,  a  large  left  hand  with  a  long  little 
finger  will  greatly  facilitate  matters. 

The  first  quality  to  obtain  from  the  violin  is  pure 
intonation ;  this  necessitates  a  delicate  and  already 
trained  ear.  Solfeggio,  therefore,  should  precede  and 
accompany  the  study  of  the  violin.  But  if  the  ear  is 
not  true,  if  it  does  not  perceive  with  precision  the 
10  [  137  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

slightest  differences  of  intonation,  it  would  be  better 
to  give  the  violin  up  at  once,  for  this  can  rarely  be  cor^ 
rected,  and  if  one  is  absolutely  determined  to  study 
music,  fall  back  upon  some  instrument  with  keys  or 
a  keyboard,  one  of  those  that  produce  an  intonation 
ready  made.  If  on  the  contrary,  the  lack  of  good  in- 
tonation is  occasioned  simply  by  the  awkwardness  of 
the  left  hand,  and  if  the  pupil  himself  notices  that  he 
plays  out  of  tune,  above  all  if  this  is  disagreeable  to 
him,  nothing  is  being  lost,  the  study  will  be  justified. 

It  is  always  an  advantage  for  very  young  pupils  to 
begin  with  a  violin  of  small  dimensions,  a  half,  or 
three-quarters,  according  to  their  stature;  this  will 
cause  less  fatigue  to  the  left  hand.  They  can  after- 
wards pass  to  a  violin  of  ordinary  dimensions  without 
serious  difficulty ;  and  they  accustom  themselves  very 
quickly  to  a  greater  stretching  of  the  fingers,  and  re- 
cover accuracy  very  easily. 

Another  very  important  study  is  that  of  the  quality 
of  tone,  which  depends  principally  upon  the  bow,  but 
also  upon  the  pressure  of  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand 
upon  the  strings;  a  rough  or  harsh  tone,  or  a  tone 
that  is  feeble  or  shrill  is  equally  faulty.  You  must 
play  the  bow  on  the  string,  a  very  accurate  expres- 
sion, the  importance  of  which  can  only  be  appreciated 
by  one  who  has  managed  a  stringed  instrument. 
"  Each  string  of  the  violin  has  an  entirely  distinct 
tone  colour.  The  chanterelle  (first  string)  has  accents 
that  are  vibrant  and  warm,  which  lend  to  the  melodic 
phrase  all  the  intensity  of  expression  of  which  it  is 
susceptible.  The  very  piercing  notes  of  the  chante- 
[138] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

Telle,  placed  in  a  region  to  which  the  human  organ  can- 
not attain,  give  a  luminous  sensation  and  awaken  the 
idea  of  the  supernatural  and  the  marvellous. 

The  second  string  is  not  so  biting  as  the  chanterelle: 
it  excels  in  interpreting  melodies  that  are  ideal  and 
suave. 

The  third  string  is  distinguished  by  an  incompar- 
able sweetness. 

The  fourth  string  is  a  Contralto  voice,  with  a  mas- 
culine and  powerful  timbre."  * 

This  may  guide  us  in  our  efforts  Towards  a  beau- 
tiful sonority,  as  applied  to  each  individual  string.  It 
goes  without  saying  that  the  quality  of  tone  depends 
also,  in  great  part,  upon  the  perfection  of  the  instru- 
ment, and  that  we  cannot  obtain  the  same  richness  of 
timbre  from  a  violin  that  costs  20  francs  as  from  a 
Stradivarius ;  but  in  the  hands  of  an  awkward  pupil 
the  two  instruments  will  not  present  much  difference, 
whilst  the  pupil  and  the  professor,  or  even  two  pupils 
playing  alternately  one  and  the  other  of  the  two  in- 
struments, will  produce  tones  that  have  not  the  slight- 
est resemblance. 

It  is  therefore  absolutely  useless,  so  far  as  the  ele- 
mentary studies  are  concerned,  to  place  in  the  hands 
of  a  pupil  an  instrument  of  value  of  which  he  can 
make  no  use ;  and  this  so  much  the  more  on  account  of 
a  most  mysterious  phenomenon,  conceded  without 
question,  a  violin  deteriorates  and  loses  part  of  its 
qualities  when  it  is  badly  played.  Inversely,  it  im- 
proves under  skilful  hands. 

*  Gevaert,  Nouveau  traiU  <F  instrumentation. 

[139] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Besides  the  qualities  of  good  intonation,  purity, 
and  timbre,  there  is  a  third  quality  that  is  still  more 
difficult  and  takes  longer  to  acquire,  and  that  is  the 
flexibility  of  the  bow,  upon  which  depends  the  supreme 
elegance,  the  spirit,  and  the  variety  of  subtle  shading, 
as  also  the  distinction  so  necessary  to  an  instrument 
that  has  to  serve  the  most  varied  and  sometimes  the 
commonest  uses ;  for  the  violin  of  the  fiddler,  the  vil- 
lage violinist,  is  the  same  as  that  of  Paganini.  How 
do  they  differ?  By  the  manner  of  playing  them,  the 
timbre  and  the*  boldness  of  the  strokes  of  the  bow. 
This  study  of  the  bow  is,  so  to  speak,  a  perpetual 
study  by  every  violinist  who  has  already  arrived  at 
perfection.  Long  after  he  has  vanquished  difficul- 
ties of  all  kinds,  and  attained  impeccable  accuracy, 
purity  and  richness,  he  still  studies  and  will  al- 
ways study  the  infinite  varieties  of  bowing,  with  its 
innumerable  combinations,  inventing  new  ones,  and 
trying  to  apply  them,  and  will  find  in  this  study,  which 
is  to  him  what  breathing  and  vocal  inflections  are  to 
the  singer,  an  inexhaustible  source  of  artistic  satis- 
faction. 

On  no  account  should  the  study  of  the  violin  occupy 
more  than  six  hours  a  day.  Four  hours  will  suffice 
perfectly,  even  during  the  finishing  studies  of  pupils 
who  are  really  well  endowed.  During  the  first  years, 
it  would  be  wise  not  to  work  more  than  two  hours  a 
day,  and  even  less  during  the  first  months. 

Just  as  in  the  case  of  the  piano,  numerous  inventors 
have  employed  their  ingenuity  in  inventing  appa- 
ratus of  various  kinds  to  facilitate  the  study  of  the 
[140] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

violin:  there  are  some  to  indicate  the  place  on  the 
finger-board  for  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand,  and  which 
thus  pretend  to  teach  how  to  play  in  tune;  there  are 
some  that  are  made  to  force  one  to  draw  and  push 
the  bow  across  the  strings  exactly  at  right  angles ; 
there  are  some  to  force  the  right  hand  to  hold  itself  in 
the  most  correct  manner ;  there  are  some  to  force  the 
instrument  to  be  held  in  the  proper  position;  there 
are  many  others,  infinitely  more  than  might  be  be- 
lieved. I  have  never  been  able  to  get  a  violinist  to 
point  out  a  single  one  that  he  considered  of  the  slight- 
est advantage;  from  which  I  conclude  that  they  are 
all  useless  and  infantile,  good  only  for  simpletons. 

THE  VIOLA 

Every  violinist  who  would  like  to  play  the  VIOLA 
can  learn  it  very  easily  in  a  few  months,  without  any 
need  of  a  professor.  He  has  the  same  experience  as 
that  of  the  child  who  has  begun  on  a  little  instru- 
ment, and  afterwards  takes  up  a  violin  of  the  normal 
size ;  he  has  to  accustom  himself  to  a  greater  stretch- 
ing of  the  fingers.  For,  as  far  as  its  handling  is  con- 
cerned, it  is  simply  a  very  much  larger  violin ;  and 
the  use  of  the  bow,  although  demanding  a  little  more 
strength,  is  practically  the  same. 

The  viola  does  not  offer  that  marvellous  variety  of 
timbres  which  has  made  the  violin  the  universal  in- 
terpreter of  sentiment.  We  must  not  ask  of  it  "  the 
brilliant  and  passionate  note;  placed  within  the  con- 
fines of  the  male  and  female  voice,  the  viola  has  an 
[141] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

undecided  and  mixed  character.  Its  veiled  sonority, 
of  an  elegiac  melancholy,  is  suited  to  everything  ex- 
pressive of  suffering,  sadness,  and  depressed  feeling." 

However,  we  can  obtain  tonal  shadings  of  cap- 
tivating effect :  "  The  two  highest  strings  have  a  pene- 
trating vibration  approaching  harshness.  On  the 
two  lower  strings  the  timbre  of  the  viola  assumes  a 
sombre  and  austere  colour  sometimes  verging  on  the 
sinister."  * 

Such  are  the  various  effects  that  we  may  seek  in 
studying  this  beautiful  instrument,  being  sure  of  find- 
ing use  for  it  in  the  practice  of  chamber-music  as 
well  as  in  the  modern  orchestra,  where  it  plays  an  im- 
portant part. 

To  play  the  viola,  it  is  well  to  have  quite  a  solid 
physique,  for  the  instrument  is  much  more  fatiguing 
than  the  violin.  For  the  same  reason,  it  is  necessary 
to  wait  until  the  growth  is  developed,  till  about  fifteen 
years  of  age,  and  up  to  that  time  to  study  the  violin 
exclusively.  Then,  it  is  excellent  to  carry  the  two 
studies  along  side  by  side,  playing  the  two  instruments 
alternately ;  this  will  give  rapidity  and  virtuosity,  and 
the  two  instruments  complement  one  another  without 
the  slightest  harm  to  either:  Paganini,  Vieuxtemps, 
Sivori,  Alard,  etc.,  were  admirable  viola-players. 

Four  hours  of  daily  study  are  amply  sufficient. 
*  Gevaert,  Nouveau  traitt  ^instrumentation. 


Tks  VIOLONCELLO 

What  we  have  said  of  the  violin  may  in  a  great 
measure  apply  to  the  VIOLONCELLO.  The  conforma- 
tion of  the  left  hand,  strong  and  large,  with  the  fifth 
finger  rather  long,  assumes  here  more  considerable  im- 
portance, because  of  the  dimensions  of  the  instru- 
ment. To  have  both  arms  normally  formed,  and  the 
ear  correct,  or  capable  of  becoming  so,  are  indispen- 
sable. The  age  that  appears  most  convenient  for 
beginning  varies  between  six  and  twelve  years,  but  a 
beginning  may  be  made  later,  as  long  as  the  lack  of 
flexibility  is  not  in  opposition  to  the  exigencies  of  the 
position,  particularly  with  regard  to  the  bow.  It  is 
an  advantage  for  the  child  to  practice  on  a  little  vio- 
loncello proportionate  to  his  size,  and  not  to  use  an 
instrument  of  ordinary  dimensions  until  he  attains  his 
growth ;  finally,  the  time  of  daily  study  depends  solely 
upon  the  individual  endurance;  and,  consequently, 
cannot  be  regulated  absolutely ;  so  long  as  the  work  is 
intelligent  and  not  mechanical,  it  is  profitable. 

The  position  and  the  general  attitude  of  the  body 
are  of  great  importance  with  the  violoncello,  as  with 
the  violin.  It  acts  at  the  same  time  upon  the  quality 
of  tone  and  the  rapidity  of  the  playing;  but  it  is 
less  constrained,  particularly  since  the  custom  of  add- 
ing a  peg  to  the  instrument,  which  supports  a  part 
of  its  weight.  On  this  account,  there  is  a  possibility 
of  slightly  prolonging  the  hours  of  study,  the  fatigue 
being,  in  reality,  a  little  less  considerable. 
[143] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Besides  this,  the  peg,  which  is  not  yet  used  by  all 
artists,  I  do  not  know  why,  offers  an  advantage  of  a 
particular  character  for  the  women  who  want  to  study 
this  instrument.  Before  its  adoption,  the  violoncello 
had  to  be  held  by  a  slight  pressure  of  the  knees,  and 
the  feet  were  constrained  to  a  rather  ungraceful  posi- 
tion, almost  a  contortion ;  moreover,  the  forced  con- 
tact of  the  skirts  to  a  certain  extent  spoiled  the  vibra- 
tions of  the  sound  cavity.  With  the  peg,  these  two 
inconveniences  have  disappeared ;  and  the  violoncello, 
held  as  represented  in  certain  portraits  of  St.  Cecilia, 
has  become  infinitely  more  accessible  to  women  and 
young  girls  than  formerly. 

This  is  how  the  learned  musician  Gevaert,  in  the 
work  from  which  we  have  quoted  several  times,  de- 
fines the  qualities  that  constitute  the  beauty  of  timbre 
of  the  strings  of  the  violoncello,  and  to  which  conse- 
quently the  attention  of  the  student  of  the  violoncello 
should  be  directed :  "  Of  all  the  instruments  that  are 
qualified  to  interpret  a  melodic  idea,  not  one  possesses 
the  accents  of  the  human  voice  in  the  same  degree  as 
the  violoncello:  not  one  reaches  the  deepest  fibres  of 
the  heart  so  surely.  In  variety  of  timbres,  it  yields 
nothing  to  the  violin.  It  unites  in  itself  the  characters 
of  the  three  male  voices :  the  youthf ulness  of  the  tenor, 
the  virility  of  the  barytone  and  the  austere  ruggedness 
of  the  bass.  Its  vibrant  chanterelle  is  called  upon  to 
translate  the  effusions  of  exalted  sentiment:  regrets, 
sorrows  and  the  ecstasy  of  love.  The  second  and 
third  strings  have  an  unctuous  and  insinuating 
sonority  that  expresses  more  restrained  feelings;  the 
[144] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

fourth  string  is  fitted  only  for  songs  of  a  sombre  and 
mysterious  character."  * 

But  apart  from  its  singing,  it  finds  a  use  as  the 
bass  of  the  String-Quartet,  where  its  power  and 
roundness  give  it  a  particular  importance. 

By  reason  of  its  compass  and  its  several  registers, 
the  violoncello  is  the  only  instrument  that  demands  the 
knowledge  of  three  clefs:  the  treble,  tenor  and  bass 
(G,  C  in  alt.  and  F). 

THE  DOUBLE-BASS 

To  play  the  DOUBLE-BASS,  it  is  better  to  be  big 
and  strong,  and  to  have  robust  hands  and  fingers  that 
will  stretch  easily.  However,  there  are  double-bass 
players  of  medium  height  who  prove  that  the  choice 
of  their  large  instrument  was  justified ;  but  it  is  bet- 
ter not  to  be  small,  so  as  not  to  shock  the  audience  by 
a  comical  disproportion;  that  would  truly  be  embar- 
rassing. 

Before  the  age  of  sixteen,  it  is  greatly  to  be  feared 
that  one  has  not  yet  the  necessary  strength  for  this 
instrument;  after  twenty  or  twenty-two  years,  flex- 
ibility would  be  lacking,  and  a  great  deal  more  of 
this  is  required  than  might  appear.  It  is  therefore 
between  these  two  limits  that  it  is  right  to  take  up 
the  study  of  this  instrument,  as  indispensable  as  un- 
grateful, for  it  never  elicits  applause,  although  it 

*  The  various  citations  from  the  Traitf,  by  Gevaert,  and  relating 
to  the  varieties  of  timbre  of  the  stringed  instruments  are  interesting 
to  compare  ;  this  comparison  will  reveal  the  different  characters  of 
the  voices  of  the  quartet. 

[145] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

contributes  an  incomparable  power  to  the  whole  effect, 
as  much  by  its  energetic  timbre  as  by  its  depth.  Its 
motto  might  be :  Sic  vos  non  vobis. 

Its  study  is  almost  entirely  material,  and  it  is  per- 
haps the  sole  instrument  that  never  has  to  furnish 
style  or  amiability.  "  The  tones  of  its  strings  do  not 
present  many  well  defined  differences.  Like  all  instru- 
ments whose  compass  is  beyond  the  limits  of  the  hu- 
man voice,  the  double-bass  is  powerless  to  recall  its 
accents.  It  has  to  be  satisfied  Avith  giving  an  extraor- 
dinary breadth  to  the  song  of  the  violoncello."  *  It 
is  a  part  that  is  relatively  kept  in  the  background,  and 
yet  it  is  of  extreme  importance  in  the  orchestral  en- 
semble. Its  qualities  are  strength,  solidity  and  ac- 
curacy, and  sometimes  a  certain  relative  speed,  and 
that  is  all.  Thus  it  can  be  learned  rather  quickly  with 
three  or  four  hours  of  conscientious  work  a  day. 

VII.  ^THE  HAEP 

Formerly  very  numerous,  the  family  of  instruments 
of  plucked  strings  is  to-day  reduced  exclusively  to 
one  individual,  the  HARP,  which  was  formerly,  even 
during  the  best  period  and  even  while  it  was  still 
very  imperfect,  its  most  beautiful  representative.  It 
shares  with  the  organ  and  piano  the  faculty  of  being 
sufficient  in  itself  and  requiring  no  accompaniment; 
it  is  an  autonomous  instrument,  that  is  to  say,  it  fur- 
nishes both  the  melody  and  harmony.  As  a  singing 
instrument,  however,  it  is  certain  that  it  leaves  much 
*  Gevaert,  Nouveau  traiU  cFiistrumentation. 

[146] 


THE    STUDY   OF    INSTRUMENTS 

to  be  desired,  for  it  is  incapable  of  sustaining  a  tone, 
but  it  atones  for  this  defect,  inherent  to  its  nature,  by 
the  beauty  and  richness  of  its  timbre,  by  the  dis- 
tinction of  its  sonority  and  its  capacity  for  producing 
certain  passages  that  are  peculiar  to  it ;  moreover,  it 
combines  admirably  with  nearly  every  instrument, 
which  makes  it  as  valuable  in  the  theatre  and  concert 
as  in  church,  and  multiplies  its  uses. 

The  age  that  seems  the  most  suitable  for  beginning 
the  study  of  the  HARP  is  somewhere  about  eight 
years;  a  little  sooner  offers  no  great  objections  from 
the  physiological  point  of  view,  if  these  three  condi- 
tions exist: 

1. — That  the  child  be  rather  tall  for  his  age  and 
well  constituted. 

2. — That  the  study  be  directed  by  some  one  who  is 
very  competent  and  experienced. 

3. — That  a  harp  for  study  can  be  found  that  is 
small  and  light  enough  to  be  handled  without  mus- 
cular fatigue. 

On  the  contrary,  to  begin  too  late,  that  is  to  say 
when  the  joints  are  no  longer  sufficiently  supple, 
would  prevent  the  pupil  from  ever  attaining  a  com 
plete  mechanical  development.  However,  an  adult  of 
twenty  or  twenty-five  years,  who  has  the  musical  tem- 
perament, particularly  if  he  has  already  studied  some 
other  instrument,  can  still  become  a  good  harpist. 

No  special   condition  of  conformation  is  particu- 
larly demanded  for  the  study  of  the  harp,  unless  it  is 
a  very  delicate  ear;  the  harpist  must  be  constantly 
tuning  and  retuning  his  harp;  this  is  a  necessity; 
[147  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

nevertheless,  rather  long  arms  and  tips  of  fingers 
that  should  be  fleshy  rather  than  lean  and  bony,  are 
certainly  desirable.  The  second  phalanx  of  the 
thumb  should  also  be  examined ;  if  it  is  too  supple 
and  curves  backwards,  it  may  cause  some  embarrass- 
ment. On  the  other  hand,  it  is  certain  that  any  de- 
formity whatsoever  would  be  an  absolute  defect,  first 
because  of  the  inconvenience,  and  then  because  the 
harp,  on  account  of  its  elegant  form  and  the  essen- 
tially graceful  pose  of  the  player,  attracts  and  holds 
the  eyes  of  the  hearer  more  than  any  other  instru- 
ment. We  can  see  this  at  a  concert  as  well  as  at  tht1 
theatre;  from  the  moment  the  harp  is  heard,  every 
eye  turns  to  it  irresistibly.  A  painful  or  ridiculous 
impression  would  therefore  result  from  any  deformity 
in  the  player. 

The  normal  time  to  devote  every  day  to  this  study 
is  several  separate  quarters  of  an  hour  at  first;  ther> 
two  hours,  four  hours,  and,  in  exceptional  cases,  six; 
more  would  be  excessive. 

"  All  the  exercises  should  be  practised  very  slowly ; 
the  pupil  must  watch  particularly  the  articulation  of 
the  phalanx ;  he  must  exact  great  suppleness,  and  im- 
mediately stop  the  study  when  the  muscles  of  the  hand 
suffer  from  the  slightest  stiffness  or  numbness."  * 

No  matter  what  the  intelligence  of  the  pupil  may 
be,  it  would  be  an  illusion  to  believe  that  he  can  dis- 
pense with  a  teacher,  at  least  during  the  first  months, 
and  as  long  as  the  position  of  the  body  as  well  as 
the  hands  is  not  perfectly  assured.  He  would  in- 
*  Raphael  Martenot,  M6thode  de  Harpg. 

[148] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

evitablj  fall  into  bad  habits  that  would  be  particu- 
larly harmful  to  the  beauty  of  his  tone  as  well  as  to 
the  development  of  his  agility.  Later  on,  if  in  ad- 
dition to  this  study,  he  is  already  a  good  musician,  he 
can  try  to  do  without  a  master  and  prosecute  his 
studies  alone,  but  only  upon  the  condition,  however, 
that  he  does  not  aim  at  acquiring  transcendent  virtu- 
osity and  limits  his  ambition  to  a  mediocre  talent. 

Otherwise,  direction  is  indispensable.  And,  in  this 
case,  it  may  be  remarked  that  the  frequency  of  the 
lessons,  lessons  at  short  intervals,  are  of  more  im- 
portance for  the  harp  than  for  the  majority  of  in- 
struments, which  is  explained  by  these  two  facts,  that 
one  contracts  defective  habits  in  a  few  days  and  that 
the  study  of  the  harp,  considered  as  a  whole,  is  rela- 
tively brief, — only  a  few  years. 

The  harp  is  one  of  the  most  inconvenient  instru- 
ments for  reading  at  sight;  first,  on  account  of  its 
form,  which  does  not  allow  the  executant  to  get  as 
near  the  desk  as  his  eyesight  demands  and  place  him- 
self in  the  most  favourable  position ;  and  finally,  and 
more  especially,  because  upon  this  instrument,  and 
upon  it  alone,  the  accidentals,  flat,  natural,  or  sharp, 
are  obtained  by  moving  the  pedals,  which  are  seven 
in  number,  and  these  have  to  be  moved  before  the 
string  is  attacked.  The  harpist,  therefore,  more  than 
any  one  else,  is  obliged  to  attach  the  greatest  impor- 
tance to  this  study,  and  also,  more  than  any  one  else, 
never  to  undertake  playing  any  piece  without  first 
having  read  it  over  from  beginning  to  end,  so  that  he 
may  anticipate  the  modulations  as  well  as  the  acci- 
[149] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

dentals  of  a  chromatic  nature,  and  avoid  as  far  as 
possible  any  surprise. 

From  this  reason  also  arises  the  necessity  of  know- 
ing how  to  read  in  advance,  as  well  as  of  possessing 
that  special  memory  of  the  eyes  (see  page  99), 
which  might  be  called  instantaneous  memory,  and 
which  permits  us  to  embrace  several  bars  with  a  single 
glance  without  thereby  losing  the  precise  memory  of 
what  we  are  playing. 

For  this  reason,  also,  a  knowledge  of  the  laws  of 
harmony,  which  often  permits  a  reader  to  divine  what 
he  has  no  time  to  read,  should  be  considered  a  valuable 
equipment. 

By  its  very  nature,  by  its  facility  in  executing 
arpeggios,  which  owe  their  name  to  it,  as  well  as  by 
the  short  duration  of  its  vibrations,  which  are  much 
shorter  than  those  of  the  piano,  the  harp  is  essentially 
an  instrument  for  accompaniments;  and  for  a  long 
time  it  was  exclusively  employed  as  such,  and  correctly 
enough ;  for  it  is  truly  in  this  role  that  it  is  in  its  best 
place.  Nevertheless,  aided  by  the  progress  of  virtu- 
osity and  the  manufacturer,  one  can,  by  means  of 
art  and  address,  succeed  in  producing  a  certain  illu- 
sion of  song,  particularly  in  the  soli  and  in  the  ab- 
sence of  every  instrument  that  really  has  a  singing 
quality,  in  comparison  with  which  it  would  suffer. 
The  middle  strings  are  the  ones  that  lend  themselves 
best  to  this  effect,  which  demands  a  well  trained  touch, 
at  once  powerful  and  supple. 

Before  the  invasion  of  the  piano,  and  again  under 
the  First  Empire,  the  harp,  although  infinitely  less 
[150] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

perfected  than  it  is  to-day,  was  the  favourite  instru- 
ment of  the  female  sex,  who,  after  having  abandoned 
it  for  a  long  time,  have  seemed  for  several  years  past 
to  be  returning  to  it.  It  is  a  fact  that  of  all  instru- 
ments, the  harp  is  certainly  the  one  that  allows  of 
the  most  graceful  attitude  and  the  most  charming 
movements  of  the  body  and  arms,  the  one  that  most 
Harmoniously  combines  the  pleasure  of  the  ear  with 
that  of  the  eyes. 

VIII.  THE    WOOD-WIND:    FLUTE,    OBOE,    ENGLISH 
HORN,  CLARINET  AND  BASSOON 

There  is  less  reason  for  us  to  enlarge  upon  Wood- 
Wind  Instruments,  the  study  of  which  in  fact  is  easier, 
except  when  we  wish  to  attain  exceptional  virtuosity 
in  them,  in  which  case  it  offers  as  much  difficulty  as  any 
others.  By  that  I  mean  that  given  an  equal  amount 
of  time,  effort  and  aptitude,  we  more  easily  succeed  in 
acquiring  a  fair  degree  of  skill  upon  a  wind-instru- 
ment than  upon  those  that  compose  the  String-Quar- 
tet. Wind-instruments  are  generally  restricted  in 
compass ;  they  can  produce  varieties  of  intensity  only 
under  certain  conditions ;  they  never  produce  more 
than  one  note  at  a  time;  with  a  few  exceptions,  with 
them  the  emission  of  tone  is  slower  and  less  active. 
For  all  these  reasons,  and  others  besides,  among  which 
is  the  scantiness  of  their  repertory,  it  happens  that  the 
study  of  them  is  infinitely  more  limited.  But  these 
same  reasons,  which  simplify  and  abridge  the  element- 
ary study,  render,  as  it  is  easy  to  understand,  the  fin- 

r  1511 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

islring  studies  much  more  difficult  and  laborious,  if 
we  wish  to  rise  above  mediocrity  and  attain  real  ex- 
cellence. When  I  say  that  these  studies  are  not  so 
difficult,  it  must  be  understood  that  only  the  inferior 
grades  are  meant ;  perfection  in  any  of  them  is  dif- 
ficult to  acquire. 

A  new  factor  here  comes  into  play,  one  with  which 
we  have  as  yet  had  little  to  do,  this  is  physical  con- 
formation. We  have  indeed  said  that  it  is  an  ad- 
vantage for  a  violinist  to  have  a  large  hand  and  for 
a  harpist  to  have  long  arms,  but  practically  every- 
body, except  the  one-armed,  can  play  the  violin  or  the 
harp ;  a  small  hand  and  short  arms  are  not  absolutely 
prohibitory,  constituting  simply  an  extra  small  dif- 
ficulty to  vanquish.  This  is  no  longer  the  case  here, 
and  the  requirements  relating  to  the  individual's 
structure  should  be  very  seriously  taken  into  consid- 
eration in  the  choice  of  an  instrument ;  for,  by  despis- 
ing such  precaution,  we  should  expose  ourselves  to 
disaster,  since  nothing,  not  even  the  most  intelligently 
directed  and  most  obstinate  labour,  can  conquer  the 
invincible  obstacles  created  by  a  native  imperfection 
of  the  respiratory  organs,  or  a  disposition  of  the  lips 
other  than  that  which  suits  the  instrument  chosen. 
This  is  why,  as  each  instrument  is  considered,  we  will 
state  precisely  the  indispensable  physiological  condi- 
tions to  be  fulfilled,  even  at  the  risk  of  exposing  our- 
selves to  occasional  repetitions,  which  are  preferable 
to  omissions. 


[1531 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

THE  FLUTE 

The  natural  qualifications  that  are  especially  fa» 
vourable  to  the  practice  of  the  flute  are:  rather  thin 
lips,  regular  teeth,  sound  lungs  and  supple  and  deli- 
cate fingers.  The  most  necessary  requirement  for 
playing  well  is  a  good  embouchure,  "  that  is  to  say, 
a  certain  arrangement  of  the  lips  suitable  for  putting 
into  the  instrument  all  the  breath  that  conies  through 
the  mouth,"  *  without  losing  any  of  it,  and  that  will 
not  allow  a  kind  of  hiss  that  precedes  the  tone  to  be 
heard, — a  very  disagreeable  thing  which  occurs  in  the 
playing  of  all  faulty  flutists.  A  slightly  projecting 
upper  lip  is  not  a  disadvantage,  quite  the  contrary. 
The  detached  notes  being  made  on  this  instrument  by 
means  of  an  articulation  called  tonguing,  it  is  indis- 
pensable that  the  artist  should  possess  great  volubility 
in  the  organ  of  speech  in  order  to  execute  rapid  pas- 
sages with  cleanness,  and  above  all,  he  must  accustom 
himself  to  form  a  perfect  agreement  between  the 
movements  of  his  tongue  and  those  of  his  fingers. 

For  a  long  time,  flutes  were  made  out  of  wood, 
then  of  ebony  and  granadilla  wood ;  now  they  are 
made  almost  exclusively  of  silver,  which  does  not  pre- 
vent this  instrument  from  remaining  classed  with  the 
family  of  Wood-wind,  to  which  it  owes  its  origin. 
Moreover,  it  is  demonstrated  by  the  laws  of  acoustics, f 
and  verified  by  the  experience  of  skilful  makers,:}:  that 

*  Fetis,  Histoire  de  la  musique. 

f  See  Helmholtz,  Sensations  of  Tone,  and  Tyndall,  Sound. 

J  Notably  Sax  in  Paris,  and  Mahillon  in  Brussels. 

11  [  153  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  material  of  which  the  tube  of  wind  instruments  is 
formed  lias  no  influence,  or  next  to  none  upon  their 
timbre.  Flutes  have  even  been  made  of  crystal  and 
there  is  nothing  to  prevent  their  being  made  of  gold. 

Of  whatever  wood  or  metal  the  instrument  held  in 
the  hand  may  be  constructed,  the  sound  that  we  must 
try  to  get  out  of  it  remains  the  same,  and  the  numer- 
ous adjectives  that  writers  and  poets  so  frequently 
use  regarding  it  may  guide  us  in  this  task.  The  tone 
of  the  flute  should  be  pure,  sweet,  velvety,  suave, 
silvery,  crystalline,  limpid  and  ethereal,  otherwise,  its 
very  nature  is  changed  and  it  loses  all  its  charm.  Ef- 
fects that  are  violent  and  dramatic  are  scarcely  suited 
to  it ;  a  nasal,  heavy  or  hollow  quality  of  tone  is  a 
great  defect.  Apart  from  this  question  of  timbre, 
the  principal  qualities  to  be  acquired  are  rapidity  in 
the  execution  of  passages,  delicacy  in  accentuation, 
lightness,  suppleness,  extreme  agility  and  the  art  of 
skilfully  managing  the  breath. 

It  do6s  not  appear  advantageous  to  begin  the  flute 
before  the  age  of  ten  or  twelve  years ;  before  that  age, 
it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  manage  the  action  of  the 
lungs  and  some  fatigue  injurious  to  the  health  might 
even  be  caused. 

The  maximum  of  work  should  not  exceed  four  hours 
a  day,  here,  as  always,  wisely  divided,  and  consider- 
ably reduced  during  the  first  months. 

The  PICCOLO  demands  no  particular  stud}'.     It  is 

simply  an  ordinary  flute  reduced  one  half  in  all  its 

proportions,  and  consequently  it  produces  tones  an 

octave  higher;  it  requires  the  same  fingering  and  the 

[  154  ] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

same  embouchure.  However,  in  this  case,  very  fat 
fingers  would  be  an  inconvenience.  The  qualities  of 
sweetness  and  suavity  that  belong  to  the  flute  are  not 
to  be  sought  in  the  piccolo ;  the  latter  should  be  par- 
ticularly biting,  incisive  and  strident;  any  excess,  a 
hard  and  shrill  tone,  is  a  fault  however. 

THE  OBOE 

The  study  of  the  OBOE:  is  very  difficult ;  the  instru- 
ment is  full  of  pitfalls  for  the  pupil,  and  the  latter 
must  exercise  great  perseverance  in  order  to  acquire 
an  execution  that  is  clean,  and  to  attain  a  certain 
ability.  The  most  considerable  difficulty  that  must 
first  be  conquered  is  the  obligation  of  restraining  the 
breath,  so  as  to  soften  the  tone  and  to  avoid  what  are 
commonly  called  couacs,  accidents  that  occur  when  the 
reed  only  vibrates,  without  any  tone  issuing  from 
the  instrument.  But,  in  seeking  to  avoid  all  acci- 
dents of  this  nature,  we  must  guard  against  playing 
with  too  much  gentleness,  for  then  we  run  the  risk  of 
having  the  instrument  emit  the  tones  an  octave  higher. 
Just  as  sweet  and  velvety,  although  a  little  nasal,  as 
the  tones  of  the  oboe  are  when  the  instrument  is  in 
the  hands  of  a  clever  virtuoso,  so  are  they  sharp  and 
shrill  when  the  performer  is  inexperienced  or  lacking 
in  the  taste  that  makes  true  artists.  The  oboist 
should  aim  at  obtaining  a  tone  that  is  delicate  with- 
out being  weak,  penetrating  without  being  hard,  in- 
cisive and  mordant  without  crudeness,  by  avoiding  es- 
pecially heaviness  on  the  one  hand  and  brutal  noise 
[155] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

on  the  other,  which  are  intolerable  defects  here. 
The  instrument  particularly  lends  itself  to  the  ex- 
pression of  sentiments  that  are  tender  or  rustic,  to 
emotion  and  deep  melancholy,  which  does  not  prevent 
its  occasionally  becoming  infinitely  witty  and  ironical. 
But  only  artists  who  are  absolutely  master  of  their 
quality  of  tone  can  dream  of  obtaining  from  their 
instrument  effects  that  are  so  varied  and  so  full  of 
charm. 

To  gain  this  result,  it  is  necessary,  not  only  to  be 
well  constituted  in  everything  concerning  the  chest,  a 
common  requirement  for  the  playing  of  all  wind-in- 
struments, but  also  to  have  good  teeth  (at  least  the 
incisors),  and  thin,  delicate  and  firm  lips.  The 
double  reed  of  the  oboe  is  formed  of  two  thin  layers 
of  reed,  of  extreme  delicacy,  and  it  is  in  a  great  meas- 
ure by  the  pressure  that  the  lips  exercise  upon  this 
fragile  organ  that  are  produced  all  the  modifications 
or  inflections  of  sonority  of  which  the  instrument  is 
capable.  The  sensitiveness  of  the  reed  of  the  oboe  is 
such  that  many  oboists,  anxious  about  the  purity  of 
their  timbre,  undertake  the  making  of  their  own  reeds, 
and  take  the  most  minute  pains  with  it,  which  is  the 
only  means  of  adapting  them  exactly  to  their  indi- 
vidual convenience,  although  reeds  are  found  in  all 
the  shops  of  the  makers  of  wind-instruments.  A 
great  number  of  bassoon-players  do  the  same  thing, 
although  their  reeds  are  less  delicate.  It  is  therefore 
easy  to  understand  that  in  order  to  set  in  vibration 
an  organ  so  fine,  so  delicate  and  so  sensitive,  thick  and 
fleshy  lips  would  constitute  if  not  complete  incapacity, 
[156] 


THE    STUDY   OP   INSTRUMENTS 

at  least  a  great  difficulty ;  and  there  are  quite  enough 
without  this. 

The  daily  work  should  be  calculated  according  to 
the  physique  of  each  individual,  and  may  vary  be- 
tween three  and  six  hours ;  but  because  of  the  fatigue 
entailed,  it  would  be  dangerous  to  allow  a  normally  de- 
veloped child  to  devote  himself  to  it  before  he  had 
attained  the  age  of  eleven  or  twelve  years.  If  I  un- 
derscore the  word  dangerous,  and  if  I  insist  upon 
it,  it  is  because  sad  examples  have  demonstrated  this 
fact  in  a  fashion,  alas!  irremediable.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen,  there  is  still  plenty  of  time  to  begin,  but  at 
eighteen,  it  would  be  a  little  late.  Generally  speak- 
ing, then,  let  us  set  the  most  propitious  age  approxi- 
mately at  from  twelve  and  fifteen. 

THE  ENGLISH  HORN 

The  ENGLISH  HORN,  being  merely  an  oboe  of  larger 
size,  slightly  bent  for  facilitating  the  execution,  and 
producing  tones  a  fifth  lower,  demands  no  special 
study  from  any  one  who  can  play  the  oboe  fairly  well ; 
a  little  attention  and  a  few  weeks  of  study  will  suffice 
for  him  to  acquire  the  use  of  this  new  instrument. 

Admirable  in  expressing  sentiments  of  grief  and 
sadness,  which  it  portrays  with  the  most  poignant  in- 
tensity, it  does  not  partake  of  the  oboe's  sportive  and 
humorous  side.  It  is  an  oboe  in  mourning. 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 


THE  CLARINET 

The  CLAHINET  may  be  begun  without  imprudence 
at  a  little  earlier  age,  about  ten,  if  the  child  is  strongly 
constituted;  sooner  than  this,  the  respiration  is  not 
sufficiently  long.  No  serious  inconvenience  would  be 
incurred  by  beginning  later,  so  long  as  the  suppleness 
of  the  fingers  was  preserved.  The  conditions  of  con- 
formation consist  only  in  having  good  teeth  and  lungs. 
To  obtain  good  results,  four  hours  of  regular  work 
a  day  are  necessary. 

The  clarinet,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  voices  in 
the  whole  orchestra,  is  the  richest  in  varied  timbres  of 
all  the  wind  instruments.  It  possesses  no  less  than 
four  registers  perfectly  defined :  the  chalumeau,  which 
contains  the  deepest  notes  and  recalls  the  old  rustic 
instrument  of  that  name;  the  medium,  warm  and  ex- 
pressive ;  the  sharp,  brilliant  and  energetic ;  and  the 
super-sharp,  biting  and  strident  at  need.  Moreover, 
all  these  registers,  thanks  to  the  progress  of  manu- 
facture, are  able  to  melt  into  one  another  in  the  hap- 
piest manner  possible,  and  furnish  a  perfectly  homo- 
geneous scale.  Although  possessing  a  predilection 
for  certain  forms  of  passages  that  specially  belong  to 
it,  it  accommodates  itself  to  nearly  all  the  vocal  and 
instrumental  formula;,  to  which  it  lends  its  own  pe- 
culiar richness  of  timbre. 

I  should  not  know  how  to  say  here,  as  I  have  said 
with  regard  to  the  flute  and  oboe,  what  sentiments 
the  clarinet  excels  in  expressing;  it  can  translate 
[158] 


THE    STUDY   OF    INSTRUMENTS 

nearly  all.  Almost  as  agile  as  the  flute,  as  tender  as 
and  more  passionate  than  the  oboe,  the  clarinet  is  in- 
finitely more  energetic  and  richer  in  colour,  and  for 
these  reasons  it  offers  to  the  pupil  a  more  engaging 
and  interesting  field  of  study.  But  it  can  not  he  de- 
nied that  it  is  a  difficult  instrument ;  independently  of 
the  mechanism,  which  requires  great  development,  the 
music  written  for  the  clarinet  generally  contains  many 
rapid  passages,  and  then  there  is  also  the  question  of 
the  embouchure,  which  can  be  by  no  means  mastered 
at  the  first  attempt,  and  upon  this  the  beauty  of  tone 
depends,  for  the  clarinet,  like  the  oboe,  is  subject  to 
the  unlucky  couac. 

In  addition  to  the  ordinary  clarinet,  there  are  many 
varieties  of  the  same  instrument :  alto-clarinet,  bass- 
clarinet,  little  clarinet,*  etc.  .  .  .  When  we  once 
master  the  handling  and  the  embouchure  of  this  type 
of  instrument,  it  is  very  easy  to  become  familiar  with 
the  use  of  any  of  the  members,  as  the  tablature  is 
practically  the  same. 

Even  if  one  has  already  become  a  very  good  mu- 
sician, it  is  almost  impossible  to  learn  the  clarinet 
alone ;  without  a  master,  certain  fingerings  and  special 
manipulations,  which  are  not  indicated  in  any  method, 
would  always  be  unknown,  and  the  execution  of  cer- 
tain passages  would  be  awkward. 

*  The  little  clarinet  is  only  used  in  military  music. 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

THE  BASSOON 

An  instrument  with  a  double-reed,  forming  the 
bass  of  the  oboe  as  well  as  that  of  the  entire  group  of 
Wood-wind,  the  BASSOON  very  seldom  appears  as  a 
soloist.  In  revenge,  it  is  of  extreme  use  in  the  orches- 
tra and  in  chamber-music  written  for  wind-instru- 
ments. 

The  principle  for  the  emission  of  tone  on  the 
bassoon  being  the  same  as  that  for  the  oboe,  it  is  nat- 
ural to  conclude  that  the  conditions  of  physical  con- 
formation should  be  the  same  for  each ;  always  healthy 
lungs,  and  teeth  in  good  condition,  etc.  However,  the 
utility  of  thin  lips  is  less  felt  here,  the  reed  being 
larger  and  of  greater  resistance. 

It  is  quite  soon  enough  to  devote  yourself  to  the 
bassoon  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  twenty  years, 
as  the  chest  is  not  strong  enough  during  the  period  of 
growth,  and  also  on  account  of  the  weight  of  the  in- 
strument, because  work  of  about  five  or  six  hours  a 
day  is  required  in  order  to  accomplish  good  results; 
but  understand  that  you  must  not  wait  until  this  age 
before  acquiring  any  knowledge  of  music,  and  indeed 
it  is  very  advantageous  to  have  studied  some  other  in- 
strument previously.  When  all  these  requirements 
are  fulfilled,  it  would  seem  that  it  is  easier  for  a  bas- 
soon-player than  any  other  to  do  without  the  help  of 
a  teacher;  however,  if  real  ability  is  required,  it  will 
always  be  infinitely  surer  to  take  a  certain  number  of 
lessons  at  the  beginning  and  towards  the  end  of  the 
studies. 

[160] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

Owing  to  its  compass,  the  bassoon  in  its  notation 
requires  the  use  of  two  clefs,  the  bass  and  tenor. 

I  make  only  a  note  here  of  the  contrabassoon,  a 
very  rare  instrument,  and  difficult  to  handle,  which, 
although  figuring  in  quite  a  large  number  of  scores, 
is  nearly  always  replaced  in  actual  use,  whether  at  the 
theatre  or  concert,  by  another  instrument  that  is  more 
portable  and  of  a  more  modern  construction, — gen- 
erally a  Sarrusophone.* 

IX.    THE    BRASS:    HORN,    TRUMPET,    CORNET    AND 
TROMBONE 

All  the  brass  instruments,  with  the  exception  of  the 
cornet,  present  themselves  under  two  types:  the  sim- 
ple type  that  emits  merely  a  few  tones,  though  of 
great  beauty ;  and  the  chromatic  type,  which  can 
sound  all  the  notes  contained  in  its  compass,  but  with 
a  less  pure  and  less  characteristic  quality  of  tone. 

SIMPLE  INSTRUMENTS:       CHROMATIC  INSTRUMENTS: 

Horn  (ordinary  or  har-  Valve  Horn. 

mony).  Trompette  a  pistons. 

Trumpet,  ordinary.  Trombone  a  pistons. 
Trombone,  sliding. 

One  might  think  that  the  chromatic  instruments, 

being  perfect  instruments,  capable  of  playing  every 

note  of  the  scale,  of  modulating,  and  executing  more 

rapid  and  varied  passages  than  the  others,  in  a  word, 

*  From  the  name  of  its  inventor,  Sarrus. 

[161] 


being  able  to  do  everything  that  simple  instruments 
do  and  many  other  things  besides,  one  might  think, 
we  say,  that  it  would  be  better  to  study  these  alone. 

However  logical  this  reasoning  may  seem,  it  is  ex- 
actly true  only  for  those  who  are  merely  seeking  to 
acquire  a  very  relative  talent.  Others  who  want  to 
be  able  to  fill  the  part  of  a  capable  artist  under  all  cir- 
cumstances ought  to  possess  a  knowledge  of  both 
kinds  of  instruments  and  be  able,  according  to  circum- 
stances, to  make  use  of  either,  which  is  never  a  matter 
of  indifference.  The  chromatic  instrument  should 
never  be  employed  except  when  it  is  rigorously  in- 
dispensable, that  is  to  say  when  the  work  to  be 
interpreted  has  been  written  with  its  special  qualities 
in  view ;  in  all  other  music,  and  particularly  that  writ- 
ten before  the  invention  of  the  valve,  the  simple  in- 
struments are  always  far  superior. 

In  fact,  the  addition  of  the  mechanism  of  the 
valve,  the  real  advantage  of  which  it  is  not  for  us  to 
discuss,  has  the  lamentable  effect  of  depriving  every 
instrument  of  its  individuality,  and  of  giving  the  va- 
rious instruments  of  the  brass  group  too  pronounced 
a  family  resemblance.  It  sometimes  happens  that  the 
listener  cannot  tell  if  the  tone  comes  from  a  horn  or 
a  trombone,  and  as  it  is  the  variety  of  timbres  that 
makes  the  richness  of  the  orchestration,  the  latter 
loses  a  great  deal.  Therefore  we  cross  the  composer's 
will  and  intentions  if,  as  is  too  often  done  through 
laziness  or  an  indifference  unworthy  of  an  intelligent 
interpreter,  >ve  substitute  for  the  timbre  that  he  re- 
quires another  that  is  too  nearly  related  to  the  neigh- 
[162] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

bouring  timbres.  This  is  a  breach  of  fidelity  and  an 
error  of  taste  that  a  conscientious  conductor  should 
never  tolerate. 

Another  consideration  arises  from  the  same  fact. 
Whenever  we  use  chromatic  instruments,  whether 
rightly  or  wrongly,  we  must  try,  by  dexterity  of 
execution,  to  minimize  their  faults  of  construction, 
think  of  the  type  of  the  instrument  and  try  to  get  as 
close  as  possible  to  its  quality  of  tone.  In  this  way 
we  shall  give  them  their  charm  and  succeed  in  getting 
the  most  out  of  them. 

Of  all  instruments,  the  brasses  are  those  that  suffer 
the  least  from  a  study  undertaken  at  a  late  date.  A 
robust  frame  is  far  more  necessary  for  them  than  for 
any  others,  because  of  their  considerable  weight ;  and 
they  are  also  the  ones  that  demand  the  greatest  ef- 
forts from  the  muscles  of  the  chest,  and  a  vigorous 
and  sustained  breath;  and  it  would  seem  very  inap- 
propriate to  place  such  cumbersome  and  fatiguing 
tools  in  the  hands  of  children.  However,  everybody 
has  not  always  thought  thus:  the  celebrated  maker 
Adolphe  Sax,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  in- 
vention of  the  Saxophones,  Saxhorns,  Sax-tubas, 
Sax-trombas  and  other  sonorous  machines,  held  the 
contrary  opinion ;  he  contended  that  the  constant 
practice  of  the  biggest  brass  instruments  constituted 
an  excellent  gymnastic  exercise  for  the  lungs.  To 
support  his  theory,  and  to  demonstrate  the  effect  of 
this  exercise  upon  the  development  of  the  chest,  he  re- 
cruited an  orchestra  of  women  who  had  superb  ones, 
as  any  one  could  see.  I  know  not  if  it  was  really  to 
[163] 


this  that  they  owed  them ;  but  it  is  certain  that  it  did 
not  appear  to  do  them  any  harm. 

We  make  only  a  note  here  of  those  instruments 
which  find  their  employment  solely  in  military  bands, 
as  well  as  the  Bugle  and  the  Clarion.  Only  one  of 
them,  the  Saxophone,  occasionally  appears  in  the 
symphonic  orchestra  or  theatre,  to  which  it  lends  the 
charm  of  a  mysterious,  strange  and  penetrating 
timbre.  A  clarinettist  can  learn  the  mechanism  of  it 
very  quickly,  its  embouchure  being  very  nearly  the 
same,  and  its  reed  simple,  more  flexible  and  less  deli- 
cate. As  for  the  Saxhorns  and  Tubas,  they  are  very 
quickly  learned  by  those  who  have  already  studied 
another  brass  instrument.  We  will  not  speak  of  them 
any  more;  but  with  regard  to  the  study  of  the  horn 
and  that  of  the  trumpet,  we  shall  have  to  return  in 
greater  detail  to  the  question  already  outlined,  and, 
to  which  too  much  importance  cannot  be  attached, — 
the  chromatic  instruments  and  their  judicious  em- 
ployment. 

THE  HORN 

There  are  therefore  two  kinds-  of  Horns,  the  Cor 
d'harmonie,  or  French  horn,  and  the  valve  horn,  of 
more  recent  invention,  which  is  tending  more  and 
more  to  supplant  the  old  one  in  the  orchestra. 

It  does  not  fall  within  the  limits  of  this  work  to  ex- 
amine how  far  this  substitution  is  happy ;  it  has  its 
partisans  and  its  detractors.  We  must  restrict  our- 
selves here  to  explaining  what  is  necessary  for  the 
study  of  each  of  these  two  instruments. 
[164] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

Let  us  first  remark  that  under  the  existing  state  of 
things,  in  order  to  be  complete,  a  horn-player  should 
know  how  to  play  both  of  them ;  for  ,if ,  in  the  execu- 
tion of  modern  works,  the  use  of  the  valve-horn  is 
indispensable,  since  they  are  written  for  it  and  cannot 
be  played  on  the  other,  which  settles  the  question,  it 
is  advantageous  to  return  to  the  simple  horn  for  the 
whole  classic  repertory,  under  pain  of  defeating  the 
composer's  intentions,  by  depriving  him  of  part  of 
his  desired  effects. 

To  be  well  understood,  this  demands  a  few  expla- 
nations as  to  the  way  these  two  instruments  work,  ex- 
planations which  I  will  try  to  give  as  briefly  as  pos- 
sible, avoiding,  as  far  as  possible,  all  technical  terms 
which  would  be  understood  only  by  a  few.  It  is  quite 
understood  that  I  express  no  preference. 

The  French  horn  is  derived  from  exactly  the 
same  principle  as  the  hunting-horn,  it  is  a  simple 
tube  coiled  around  itself,  and  is  not  qualified  to  give 
out  naturally,  under  the  effort  of  the  human  breath, 
modified  by  the  pressure  of  the  lips,  more  than  a 
very  restricted  number  of  tones,*  which  are  therefore 
called  natural  tones,  and  which  resound  with  brilliance. 
To  obtain  intercalary  tones,  the  horn-player  intro- 
duces his  right  hand  into  the  bell  of  the  instrument, 
obstructing  the  orifice  to  a  greater  or  lesser  degree, 
with  infinite  precautions ;  by  this  artifice,  he  modifies, 
by  obstructing  them,  the  vibrations  of  the  air  con- 
tained in  the  tube,  which  results  in  some  new  tones 

*  These  are  the  harmonics  of  any  fundamental :  C  G  C  EG 
B-flat  Cf  D  E  F  G. 

[165] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

which  have  received  the  name  of  stopped  notes,  and 
which  have  not  at  all  the  same  timbre  as  the  first.  In 
the  same  proportion  as  the  natural  tones  are  vigor- 
ous and  brilliant,  the  others  are  veiled,  uncertain, 
timid,  and,  so  to  speak,  far  away.  From  this  lack 
of  homogeneity,  which  seems  a  priori  a  capital  de- 
fect, the  old  composers  (I  speak  here  particularly  of 
those  belonging  to  that  beautiful  period  between  Bee- 
thoven and  Mendelssohn)  and  their  interpreters  man- 
aged to  obtain  tones  of  exquisite  charm.  The  tran- 
sition of  an  open  tone  to  a  stopped  tone  or  vice-versa, 
far  from  being  incongruous  notAvithstanding  its  dif- 
ficulty and  the  awkwardness  that  results  from  it,  per- 
haps even  on  that  very  account,  is  simply  strange, 
with  an  essentially  Sympathetic  strangeness  that  gives 
to  a  phrase  sung  Ijy  the  horn  an  emotional  character 
that  is  entirely  individual.  But  the  stopped  notes  can 
be  produced  only  under  certain  conditions,  preceded 
or  followed  by  open  tones,  and  also  without  too  much 
precipitation ;  and  for  this  reason  they  demand  as 
much  art  on  the  part  of  the  composer  who  calls  for 
them  as  skilfulness  and  dexterity  from  the  executant. 
Let  us  pass  on  to  the  valve  horn.  Thanks  to  a 
very  ingenious  mechanical  system,  analogous  to  that 
of  the  cornet,  which  lengthens  or  shortens  at  will  the 
circuit  of  air  in  the  tube,  it  can  produce  with  equal 
facility  all  the  tones  of  the  chromatic  scale  (which 
is  the  reason  it  is  also  called  the  chromatic  horn), 
and  all  in  the  same  timbre,  which  is  very  nearly  that 
of  the  open  tones  of  the  ordinary  horn.  Hence,  the 
composer  finds  it  easy  to  employ,  in  the  most  rapid 
[166] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

modulations  and  use  every  note  without  having  to 
take  any  precautions ;  hence  also  the  performer  gains 
a  security  which  was  unknown  in  the  case  of  the  old 
instrument,  besides  the  faculty  of  being  able  to  un- 
dertake rapid  passages  of  all  kinds.  But  on  the 
other  hand,  the  mysterious  and  veiled  tones  of  the 
stopped  horn  are  sacrificed.  We  might  indeed  pro- 
duce stopped  tones  on  the  chromatic  horn  by  the 
same  artifice  as  in  the  simple  horn,  by  inserting  the 
hand  into  the  bell,  but  as  it  is  far  easier  to  produce  the 
same  notes  by  means  of  the  valves,  this  is  scarcely 
ever  done.  Let  us  add  that  whenever  it  is  done,  the 
tones,  owing  to  some  reason  connected  with  the  con- 
struction of  the  instrument,  do  not  possess  the  same 
poetical  character  and  the  same  fascination  as  those 
produced  on  the  simple  horn. 

Now  that  the  two  instruments  are  known  with  their 
qualities  and  defects,  we  can  easily  conceive  that  a 
clever  horn-player  should  be  able  to  play  both  alter- 
nately, according  to  circumstances. 

Moreover,  this  double  study  does  not  entail  any 
complication.  A  beginning  must  always  be  made  with 
the  simple  horn,  and  a  good  embouchure  on  it  ac- 
quired, as  well  as  a  frank  and  beautiful  sonority,  at 
once  vigorous  and  unctuous,  afterwards  proceeding 
to  the  stopped  tones. 

Next  we  shall  pass  to  the  valve  horn,  which  will 
seem  relatively  easy ;  and  finally,  we  shall  be  able  to 
play  first  on  one  and  then  on  the  other,  and  possess 
equal  command  of  each. 

Work  may  be  begun  on  this  beautiful  instrument 
[167] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

at  the  age  of  fourteen  or  fifteen,  if  the  chest  is  strong 
enough;  but  it  may  also  be  undertaken  much  later, 
it  really  does  not  matter  much  at  what  age,  without 
very  marked  inconvenience. 

The  time  of  daily  study  should  be  divided  into  pe- 
riods of  half  an  hour  at  first,  and  an  hour  at  most 
after  having  become  sufficiently  accustomed  to  it. 
Eight  sittings  of  half  an  hour  each  make  the  best  ar- 
rangement, always  taking  care  to  shorten  or  cut  out 
a  few  when  any  symptoms  of  fatigue  appear,  as  we 
have  already  established  in  a  general  way. 

THE  TRUMPET 

The  TRUMPET  is  like  the  horn ;  the  same  name  in- 
cludes two  instruments:  the  simple  Trumpet  and  the 
Trumpette  a  pistons  or  chromatic  trumpet. 

The  principle  of  the  simple  trumpet  is  the  same  as 
that  of  the  horn,  but  as  no  use  is  made  of  stopped 
notes,  its  scale  is  reduced  to  natural  notes  only,  about 
a  dozen,  which  is  indeed  very  little.  Nevertheless,  on 
account  of  its  brilliancy  and  power,  it  is  a  magnificent 
instrument,  with  a  heroic  and  heraldic  character. 

To  remedy  the  inconvenience  of  this  small  number 
of  notes,  makers  have  ingeniously  devised  various 
means.  First  they  tried  a  spring  slide,  which,  being 
lengthened  at  will,  lowered  the  whole  natural  scale 
by  one,  two  or  three  half-tones ;  then,  later,  an  Eng- 
lishman, whose  name  is  not  known  to  us,  had  an  idea 
of  adding  keys  to  the  trumpet,  as  to  the  clarinet  or 
oboe,  and  his  endeavours  were  crowned  with  success; 
[168] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

but  he  found  that  he  had  created  a  new  instrument 
whose  quality  of  tone  bore  little  resemblance  to  the 
typical  tone  of  the  trumpet.  "  It  was  an  acquisition, 
but  not  an  improvement."  *  The  inventor  called  his 
keyed  trumpet  by  the  name  of  the  horn-bugle.  Then 
the  French  maker  Adolphe  Sax  adapted  to  it  the 
system  of  valves,  now  generally  adopted. 

The  trumpette  a  pistons  has  the  advantage  over  the 
simple  trumpet  of  being  able  to  produce  all  the 
diatonic  and  chromatic  notes  in  its  compass,  and  is 
therefore  infinitely  more  convenient  for  the  composer, 
and  also  more  agreeable  for  the  performer,  who  with 
it  is  no  longer  condemned  to  perpetual  flourishes,  but 
is  able  to  attack  the  most  varied  passages.  Just  as 
in  the  case  of  the  horn,  however,  the  addition  of  the 
valve  mechanism  modifies  the  timbre,  which,  no  longer 
so  brilliant  nor  pompous,  becomes  a  little  heavier. 

Inversely  to  what  we  have  said  about  the  horn, 
teachers  of  the  trumpet  are  generally  of  the  opinion 
that  it  is  better  to  begin  with  the  study  of  the  trum- 
pette a  pistons,  between  twelve  and  eighteen,  or  even 
sooner,  provided  that  the  amount  of  study  be  pro- 
portioned to  the  physical  strength  of  the  individual. 
To  commence  too  late,  after  the  age  of  about  twenty- 
five,  would  be  risky,  for  there  are  few  instruments  so 
ticklish  as  this  one.  Those,  ^however,  who  have 
previously  played  the  cornet  can  undertake  the 
trumpet  at  any  age  whatsoever.  Regarding  the  nec- 
essary time  for  study,  it  is  difficult  to  tell  precisely, 
because  it  depends  entirely  upon  the  temperament  of 
*  Fetis,  Histoire  de  la  musique. 

13  [  169  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  pupil  and  the  force  of  resistance  in  his  lips ;  with 
this  reservation,  as  much  time  as  possible. 

Although  of  the  same  family  as  the  horn,  the 
trumpet  differs  essentially  from  it  in  its  effects.  Its 
sonority  is  at  once  less  sweet  and  soft,  but  more 
silvery,  clear,  strident  and  brilliant.  These  are  the 
qualities  that  must  be  sought,  with  a  clean,  frank  and 
precise  attack ;  even  a  little  ruggedness,  if  not  allowed 
to  become  excessive,  is  not  inappropriate..  Moreover, 
pupils  would  do  well  to  endeavour  to  produce  with 
ease  the  piano  and  pianissimo  shading,  in  which  the 
modern  composers  have  found  ravishing  effects. 

THE  CORNET  A  PISTONS 

At  the  age  of  twelve,  one  can  put  the  CORNET  A 
PISTONS  in  the  hands  of  a  child,  if,  however,  he  has 
not  a  weak  constitution ;  in  the  contrary  case  it  would 
be  better  to  wait,  for  up  to  the  age  of  twenty  at  least, 
it  will  be  quite  time  enough. 

As  we  have  already  seen  with  regard  to  the  trumpet, 
and  generally  speaking  with  all  the  brass  instruments, 
the  fear  of  fatigue  should  be  the  only  guide  for  de- 
termining the  amount  of  daily  study. 

The  embouchure  of  the  cornet  is  infinitely  easier 
to  acquire  than  that  of  the  horn  or  the  trumpet, 
and  it  is  in  a  great  measure  to  its  facility  of  emission 
of  tone  that  it  owes  its  popularity. 

Its  timbre,  which  arises  from  its  construction,  is 
lacking  in  distinction.  To  the  same  degree  that  the 
trumpet  is  clear  and  elegant  in  its  brilliancy  and  its 
[170] 


limpid  clarity,  and  the  horn  is  poetical  and  sentiment- 
al, so  the  cornet  is  essentially  trivial  and  muddy.  It 
is  then  to  lessen  its  defects  that  the  virtuoso-cornettist 
must  always  strive,  and  here,  by  a  unique  exception, 
it  is  permissible  for  him  to  endeavour  to  imitate 
neighbouring  instruments  and  those  of  the  same  fam- 
ily that  are  endowed  with  a  nobler  timbre:  thus,  to 
have  the  tone  of  a  horn,  or  the  tone  of  a  trumpet  would 
not  be  a  defect  in  a  cornettist,  but  rather  a  valuable 
quality  under  many  circumstances.  It  atones  for  its 
fault  of  vulgarity,  first  by  being  very  easy  to  study, 
and  then  by  a  certain  volubility,  that  is  peculiar  to 
it,  a  suppleness  that  can  do  everything, — trills,  re- 
peated notes,  and  runs  of  pretty  nearly  every  kind, 
as  well  as  an  aptitude  for  singing  well  or  imitating 
a  song,  of  which  it  must  avail  itself. 

The  study  of  the  cornet  a  pistons  produces  certain 
qualities  for  the  practice  of  the  trumpet ;  but  the  sim- 
ultaneous study  of  the  two  is  useless  when  working 
seriously  at  the  trumpet, — it  may  even  be  harmful 
to  the  cornet.  When  once  the  period  of  study  is 
passed,  a  trumpet-player  call  play  the  two  instru- 
ments alternately,  provided  he  makes  only  a  moderate 
use  of  the  cornet ;  an  abuse  of  the  latter  would  expose 
him  to  the  loss  of  a  part  of  his  most  precious  quali- 
ties, particularly  firmness  in  the  attack  of  his  tone. 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 


THE  TROMBONE 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  and  powerful  voices  In 
the  modern  orchestra  is  the  TROMBONE.  Admirable 
in  expressing  strong  and  noble  sentiments,  it  becomes 
simply  ridiculous  when  it  is  meanly  reduced  to  marky 
ing  time,  or  reinforcing  the  bass  in  dance  music, 
which  proves  the  nobility  of  its  character. 
;  As  in  the  case  of  the  horn  and  trumpet,  we  are 
here  confronted  with  two  instruments  which,  although 
bearing  the  same  name,  are  very  different  and  pos- 
sess individual  qualities :  the  slide  trombone,  which 
is  the  real  trombone,  the  instrument  of  pomp  and 
majesty  par  excellence,  and  the  trombone  a  pistons 
the  sole  advantage  of  which  is  that  it  is  easier  to  learn 
and  to  handle,  and  lends  itself  better  to  the  execution 
of  rapid  passages  which  do  not  befit  its  solemn  char- 
acter and  by  their  very  velocity  deprive  it  of  a  great 
and  the  most  beautiful  part  of  its  prestige  and  dig- 
nity. 

Every  conscientious  trombone-player  then,  who  is 
desirous  of  becoming  an  artist,  should  first  make  him- 
self master  of  the  considerable  difficulties  presented 
by.  the  slide  trombone.  If  afterwards  he  wishes  to  ac- 
quire the  trombone  a  pistons,  this  will  be  for  him  a 
matter  of  six  weeks,  or  two  months  at  most. 

One  can  hardly  undertake  the  study  of  the  trom- 
bone, the  hardest  of  all  the  brass  instruments,  before 
having  attained  full  growth;  it  is  therefore  difficult 
to  state  the  age  precisely.     We  may,  however,  call 
[TO] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

fifteen  the  limit  of  youth,  for  there  are  several  in- 
stances of  pupils  of  that  age  who  have  gone  through 
their  studies  in  good  condition ;  and  twenty-five  as  the 
highest  limit,  beyond  which  it  would  seem  difficult  to 
accustom  the  lips  to  exercise  with  required  force  the 
pressure  necessary  to  obtain  a  beautiful  sonority,  sup- 
ple and  firm  at  the  same  time.  However,  if  one  has 
already  played  any  other  brass  instrument  what- 
soever, and  if  one  has  by  this  means  acquired  the 
facility  of  embouchure,  one  can  begin  to  study  the 
trombone  at  any  age. 

Because  of  the  fatigue  it  brings,  one  should  never, 
even  though  well  accustomed  to  it,  work  more  than  a 
few  minutes  at  a  time,  and  never  more  than  four  hours 
a  day ;  at  the  beginning,  two  hours  are  amply  suf- 
ficient. Firm  and  tough  lips  and  a  solid  and  well- 
formed  jaw  are  necessary. 

Of  the  slide  trombone  as  well  as  of  the  piston, 
there  are  instruments  of  three  different  sizes,  called 
alto-trombone,  tenor  trombone  and  bass-trombone,* 
all  three  being  equally  employed  in  the  orchestra,  and 
almost  always  simultaneously. 

The  music  for  the  trombones  being  written  some- 
times in  the  alto,  sometimes  in  the  bass  and  sometimes 
in  the  tenor  clef,  a  knowledge  of  these  three  clefs  is 
useful  to  the  trombone-player. 

It  is  the  custom  to  exercise  first  upon  the  tenor  trom- 
bone; and  when  that  is  learned,  little  difficulty  is  ex- 
perienced in  playing  upon  the  others ;  it  is  only  the 
matter  of  a  few  days. 

*  The  double-bass  trombone  is  rarer. 

[173] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

X.  THE  GUITAR  AND  MANDOLIN 

It  seems  entirely  superfluous  for  us  to  consider  here 
certain  odd  instruments,  strangers  to  the  symphonic 
orchestra,  which,  although  having  a  perfectly  musical 
character,  are  connected  with  this  art  only  on  account 
of  their  picturesque  quality  and  local  colour,  and  have 
been  used  by  composers,  only  in  exceptional  cases  or 
as  hors-d'oeuvres.  Such  are,  among  others,  the  Guitar 
and  the  Mandolin,  instruments  for  serenades,  charm- 
ing to  hear  in  an  appropriate  setting,  in  the  streets 
of  Seville,  or  the  canals  of  Venice,  but  out  of  place 
elsewhere;  also  the  Russian  Balalaika  and  the  Hun- 
garian Cembalo. 

Let  us  say,  however,  that  the  guitar,  if  we  want  to 
do  anything  more  with  it  than  to  accompany  a  com- 
mon Italian  or  Spanish  song,  is  excessively  difficult  to 
learn,  but  it  also  forms  a  very  delightful  study ;  in 
private,  in  the  midst  of  a  very  restricted  circle  of 
attentive  amateurs,  a  skilful  artist  can  get  charming 
effects  from  it,  although  of  little  variety  and  always 
somewhat  similar ;  but  it  is  very  difficult  to  find  a  good 
teacher  of  the  guitar,  this  unfashionable  instrument 
falling  daily  into  greater  disuse,  which  is  to  be  re- 
gretted. 

In  Italy  and  Spain,  the  guitar  plays  the  part  of 
accompanist  to  the  voice,  or  to  the  mandolin ;  the 
latter  constantly  gives  the  melody,  and  guitars  accom- 
pany it.  Sometimes  a  flute  or  a  violin  is  added.  In 
its  picturesque  frame,  under  a  beautiful  moonlight, 
or  a  starry  sky,  such  a  little  orchestra  in  miniature 
[174] 


lulls  the  tourist  deliciously,  and  sometimes  produces 
ravishing  effects.  The  mandolin,  on  the  contrary, 
may  be  learned  with  extreme  facility ;  the  irritating 
tremolo  of  its  doubled  strings,  endurable  only  in  the 
open  air,  is  within  the  reach  of  everybody.  For  vio- 
linists, in  particular,  it  is  a  mere  toy ;  its  strings  and 
fingering  being  identical  with  their  instrument,  they 
have  nothing  to  acquire  but  that  perpetual  trembling 
of  the  right  hand  which  seems  to  have  furnished  the 
voice  with  that  deplorable  example  of  tremolo  of 
which  we  shall  soon  speak. 

XI.  DIFFICULTIES  OF  DIFFERENT  INSTRUMENTS 
CONSIDERED 

From  the  sum  of  the  foregoing  information,  it  will 
be  seen,  although  this  has  not  been  the  precise  ques- 
tion, that  all  instruments  are  not  equally  easy  or  dif- 
ficult to  learn,  and  that  there  are  some  that  demand 
an  infinitely  longer  period  of  study  than  others  in 
order  to  arrive  at  relatively  equivalent  results. 

This  is  an  easy  matter  to  understand,  but  more 
difficult  to  measure  and  state  precisely  and  exactly. 
We  cannot  take  as  a  term  of  comparison  the  moment 
when  the  artist  attains  perfection,  for  this  moment  is 
imperceptible;  what  one  calls  perfection  is  far  from 
another's  idea  of  it.  No  one  can  ever  say :  I  know 
the  violin,  or  I  know  the  harp;  any  more  than  one 
could  say  I  know  History,  or  I  know  Astronomy. 
But  one  can  say:  7  know  how  to  play  the  violin,  / 
know  how  to  use  the  harp,  I  have  studied  History,  / 
[  175  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

have  some  knowledge  of  Astronomy,  because  these 
various  ways  of  expressing  oneself  do  not  convey  the 
idea  of  a  complete  and  final  knowledge,  any  pretension 
to  which  is  simply  absurd.  The  most  accomplished 
virtuoso  to-day  will  be  seeking  to-morrow  for  new 
effects  and  methods;  so  he  will  still  further  perfect 
himself,  just  as  the  most  learned  historian,  by  delv- 
ing deeper  into  his  documents  and  comparing  them, 
will  make  further  progress  in  his  science.  Absolute 
perfection  does  not  exist,  and  what  we  call  by  that 
name  is  merely  that  which  seems  to  us  to  approach 
it  most  nearly,  still  remaining  perfectable.  There- 
fore we  cannot  plant  a  fixed  landmark  upon  this  ever- 
fleeting  spot.  But  there  is  another  that  can  be  per- 
haps stated  definitely  enough  for  the  present  inquiry ; 
this  is  the  moment  when  the  pupil  has  acquired  a  com- 
plete knowledge  of  all  the  means  of  execution  appli- 
cable to  his  instrument  and  knows  how  to  use  them 
with  discernment. 

.  Admitting  this  medium  level  as  a  term  of  compari- 
son, we  can  first  establish,  proceeding  by  families,  that 
those  instruments  demanding  the  longest  study  are: 
the  stringed  instruments  and  the  piano;  secondly,  the 
wood-wind  and  the  harp ;  and  thirdly,  the  brass.  ( It 
will  be  remarked  that  neither  the  organ  nor  the  har- 
monium comes  into  the  question,  these  two  instruments 
imperiously  requiring  a  preliminary  study  of  the 
piano  upon  which  their  own,  one  very  short  and  the 
other  very  long,  will  be  afterwards  grafted,  as  we 
have  already  seen.) 

If  we  now   examine  separately  each  of  the  three 
[176] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

categories  grouped  as  above,  individual  aptitude  being 
regarded  as  equal,  the  pupil  who  studies  the  violin  or 
the  piano  will  be  the  longest  in  attaining  our  medium 
level  agreed  upon;  the  violoncellist  will  arrive  before 
him  and  he  will  be  preceded  by  several  bow-shots  by 
the  double-bass  player,  whose  instrument,  notwith- 
standing its  dimensions,  or  rather  on  that  account, 
exacts  infinitely  less  delicacy  and  precision. — Passing 
to  the  second  group,  and  still  supposing  the  pupils  to 
be  equally  well  endowed  and  trained,  it  is  the  flutist 
who  should  arrive  first,  then  the  clarinettist  and  the 
bassoonist,  and  finally  the  oboist;  because  the  oboe  is 
the  most  delicate  instrument  of  this  family  to  manage. 
I  have  forgotten  the  harp,  which  perhaps  might  dis- 
pute the  first  place  with  the  flute,  for,  when  once  the 
first  difficulties  are  vanquished,  progress  is  often  very 
rapid. — Finally,  among  the  brass  instruments,  the 
horn  is  incontestably  the  one  that  claims  the  longest 
study,  particularly  on  account  of  its  stopped  tones; 
the  trombone  and  the  trumpet  are  learned  in  about 
the  same  length  of  time ;  and,  finally,  the  cornet  may 
be  considered  the  easiest  of  all. 

(I  have  not  spoken  here  of  the  viola,  nor  of  the 
English  horn,  which  are  equally  easy  to  learn,  if  one 
knows  how  to  play  the  violin,  or  the  oboe. )  With  re- 
gard to  the  special  instruments  for  military  bands,  it 
will  suffice  to  know  that  in  a  regiment,  when  a  man 
shows  himself  incapable  of  sweeping  the  court  or 
grooming  his  horse,  he  is  put  in  the  band,  and  within 
a  few  months,  he  is  able  to  sustain  his  part,  Heaven 
only  knows  how. 

[  177  } 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Another  classification  of  instruments  is  still  to  be 
considered  from  the  standpoint  of  study.  It  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  make  a  difference  between  those 
who  imperatively  demand  virtuosity,  mastery,  and 
those  who  can  do  without  it.  To  play  the  violin 
fairly  well  is  sufficient  to  hold  a  place  as  second  violin 
in  an  orchestra;  this  is  true  also  of  the  viola,  the 
double-bass,  the  trumpet,  the  trombone,  and  even  the 
bassoon,  because  they  are  very  rarely  required  to  act 
as  soloists;  with  second-rate  talent,  they  can  make 
themselves  useful  at  need.  On  the  other  hand,  great 
skill  is  requisite  for  the  first  violins,  violoncellos, 
flutes,  oboes,  clarinets  and  horns,  whose  parts  are  al- 
ways far  more  in  evidence.  In  the  execution  of  cham- 
ber-music, an  equal  degree  of  perfection  is  required 
of  all  the  participants,  whatever  their  instrument ;  no 
mediocrity  is  tolerable  there.  It  is  the  same,  with 
greater  reason,  when  one  intends  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  the  audience  to  oneself  alone,  by  the  inter- 
pretation of  a  Concerto  or  even  another  instrumental 
solo  that  is  less  developed.  It  would  be  simply  ridicu- 
lous for  any  one  to  attempt  such  things  without  the 
possession  of  a  veritable  and  complete  talent,  without 
being  so  sure  of  himself  as  to  feel  certain  that  he  will 
not  create  that  agonizing  feeling  of  fear  and  anxiety 
which  deprives  the  public  of  all  the  pleasure  it  lias  a 
right  to  expect  from  the  execution  of  a  charming 
work.  The  true  virtuoso  should  inspire  confidence 
from  his  very  first  notes,  appear  at  his  ease  amid  the 
greatest  difficulties,  and  give  everybody  the  impression 
that  it  is  all  child's  play  to  him. 
[178] 


THE    STUDY    OF    INSTRUMENTS 

A  few  years  ago,  one  of  our  most  marvellous  young 
pianists,  travelling  incognito  and  finding  himself  in 
a  large  hotel  in  Switzerland,  availed  himself  of  a  few 
moments  one  morning  when  the  salon  was  empty  to 
limber  up  his  fingers  and  play  some  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful pieces  in  his  repertory  upon  a  magnificent  Stein- 
way  piano  that  he  found  there.  As  he  was  about  to 
leave,  a  stranger  whom  he  had  not  noticed,  approached 
and  asked  his  permission  to  let  him  express  his  ad- 
miration. "  I  have  been  here  from  the  beginning," 
he  said,  "  and  you  have  charmed  me  so  greatly  that 
if  you  had  continued,  I  certainly  should  have  remained 
all  day  long;  I  have  heard  Liszt,  Chopin,  Thalberg, 
and  no  one  has  ever  produced  such  an  effect  upon  me. 
Will  you  permit  me  to  ask  you  a  question  ?  " 

"  With  pleasure,  Sir,  if  I  can  answer  it." 

"  Oh,  yes,  certainly.  I  should  like  to  ask  you  if 
you  have  learned  to  play  or  if  it  is  natural?  " 

A  burst  of  laughter  from  the  young  pianist,  who 
did  not  see  until  later  that  this  simple  person  had  paid 
him  the  most  beautiful  as  well  as  the  most  ingenuous 
of  compliments.  In  reality,  when  we  hear  a  great 
virtuoso,  the  first  impression  is  that  it  costs  him  no 
effort,  it  seems  as  if  we  could  do  the  same  thing ;  and 
reason  has  to  intervene  before  we  realize  that  this  is 
the  result  of  many  years  of  arduous  labour. 

However,  not  to  speak  solely  of  exceptional  talent, 
it  is  certain  that  at  a  small  party  and  at  intimate 
gatherings,  a  modest  and  unpretentious  amateur  can 
be  infinitely  agreeable  and  make  himself  useful  if  he 
atones  for  his  imperfections  by  qualities  of  artistic 
[179] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

intelligence,  if  he  is  a  good  reader  and  a  good  musi- 
cian. This  is  why  we  again  insist,  and  for  the  last 
time,  upon  the  necessity  for  every  instrumentalist, 
whether  an  amateur  or  a  professional  artist,  to  pre- 
cede or  accompany  his  instrumental  studies  with  solid 
studies  of  solfeggio  pursued  long  and  patiently,  as 
well  as  a  summary  study  of  the  piano ;  and  if  the  piano 
is  his  instrument,  a  serious  study  of  harmony  and  read- 
ing at  sight.  Before  being  a  virtuoso,  one  must  be 
a  musician. 


PART   III 

THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 


PART  III 

THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 


I.  THE  CHILD'S  VOICE,  CHANGE  OF  VOICE,  EARLY 
INSTRUCTION,  EXAMINATION  OF  THE  NATURAL 
VOICE  AND  CHOICE  OF  A  TEACHER 

If  it  is  wrong  to  hold  with  the  proverb  that  a  hare 
is  necessary  in  order  to  make  a  civet,  since  an  excellent 
one  can  be  made  with  a  cat,  it  is  nevertheless  absolutely 
true  for  the  singer,  since  for  him  nothing  can  take  the 
place  of  the  voice;  and,  in  order  to  make  a  singer,  a 
voice  is  necessary. 

The  voice,  depending  entirely  upon  the  conforma- 
tion of  the  vocal  apparatus  in  its  entirety  and  in  its 
details,  comprising  the  lungs,  the  trachea,  the  larynx, 
the  glottis,  the  mouth  and  the  nostrils,  it  is  not  in 
anyone's  power  to  create  a  voice  for  himself  or  for 
anybody  else  if  Nature  has  not  provided  one.  This 
is  what  led  Schumann  to  say :  "  If  you  possess  a  good 
voice,  do  not  hesitate  a  moment  to  cultivate  it,  regard- 
ing it  as  the  most  beautiful  gift  that  has  been  granted 
you  by  Heaven."  But  if  it  is  forbidden  to  us  to  cre- 
ate voices,  if  even  it  is  an  impossibility  to  aid  in  their 
formation,  what  does  depend  on  ourselves  is  not  to 
[183] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

hinder  their  development  by  placing  obstacles  in  their 
way ;  and  this  is  what  we  too  often  do  by  lack  of  care 
and  wise  foresight.  With  a  little  more  care  and  ob- 
servation, it  is  certain  that  we  can  aid  the  work  of 
Nature  by  simply  refraining  from  shackling  it,  and 
thereby  obtain  a  greater  number  of  beautiful  voices, 
which  would  indeed  be  a  happy  result,  and  at  the 
same  time  prepare  a  generation  of  singers  who  are 
good  musicians, — another  matter  that  is  equally  to  be 
desired. 

During  the  period  of  childhood,  boys  and  girls  have 
almost  the  same  voice,  which  is  the  child's  voice. 
People  are  wrong  in  often  saying  that  they  have 
women's  voices,  for  they  differ  entirely  from  the  lat- 
ter, even  the  voices  of  little  girls,  both  in  their  com- 
pass, which  with  rare  exceptions  is  infinitely  smaller, 
and  in  their  timbre,  which  has  not  the  warmth,  ten- 
derness, nor  energy.  They  differ,  moreover,  in  the 
limits  of  their  registers.  The  child's  is  a  provisional 
voice,  just  as  milk  teeth  are  provisional  teeth;  there 
is  nothing  of  either  remaining  in  the  adult. 

Nevertheless,  the  child's  voice  frequently  acquires 
an  intensity  and  volume  that  are  quite  sufficient  to 
render  it  possible  to  exercise  it,  and  even  to  make 
good  musical  use  of  it,  either  individually  as  a  soloist, 
or  in  white  voice  choruses,  to  which  the  juvenile 
timbre  lends  an  altogether  characteristic  charm. 

Because  a  child  has  a  voice,  we  must  not  at  all  infer 
that  it  will  have  one  later  on,  but  neither  does  that 
mean  that  it  will  not  have  one.  It  may  also  be  en- 
tirely without  voice  during  childhood,  and  possess  a 
[  184  } 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

superb  one  after  completed  growth.  This  is  the 
unknown 

At  the  moment  of  the  transformation  which  makes 
an  adolescent  of  the  boy  and  a  maiden  of  the  little 
girl,  a  physiological  phenomenon  takes  place  that  has 
received  the  name  of  mtie,  during  which  the  child's 
voice  completely  disappears  to  make  way  for  the 
definitive  voice.  This  phenomenon,  which  is  strongly 
accented  in  boys,  is  scarcely  noticeable  in  girls,  and 
for  this  reason:  with  the  former,  a  general  and  pro- 
longed hoarseness  occurs  with  frequent  throat  troubles, 
the  speaking  voice  assumes  a  hoarse  and  characteristic 
timbre,  leaving  no  doubt  as  to  what  is  happening,  and 
meanwhile  the  larynx  develops  to  its  full  dimensions, 
to  almost  double  its  former  size,  making  the  Adam's 
apple  protrude,  and  lowering  the  compass  of  the  voice 
by  a  full  octave,  and  sometimes  more.  All  this  can- 
not pass  unnoticed.  In  the  female,  whose  voice  suffers 
no  change  with  regard  to  its  diapason,  the  dilatation 
of  the  larynx  is  inappreciable,  the  modification  works 
chiefly  on  the  timbre,  which  is  imperceptibly  modified 
from  day  to  day,  little  by  little  losing  its  infantile 
character  and  acquiring  feminine  qualities,  but  with- 
out anything  being  manifested  externally  in  the  voice 
that  would  attract  attention.  Just  because  it  is  less 
apparent,  we  must  not  conclude  that  it  does  not  exist, 
for  it  has  the  same  importance  in  both  sexes. 

The  change  generally  commences,  in  our  temperate 

climates,  between  the  fourteenth  year  in  the  boy,  and 

about  the  thirteenth  year  in  the  girl.     Naturally,  it 

is  earlier  in  warmer  climates,  where  development  is 

13  185 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

more  rapid.  It  ends  about  the  twentieth  year  in  the 
man,  and  the  eighteenth  in  the  female.  The  dates 
are  variable. 

Some  people  have  pretended  that  a  sort  of  inver- 
sion is  produced  in  boys,  the  result  being  that  a  so- 
prano voice  becomes  a  bass,  and  that  even  a  young 
contralto  announces  a  tenor:  this  may  happen,  but 
there  is  nothing  absolute  in  it.  Others  affirm  that 
the  heredity  of  the  vocal  faculty  is  more  frequently 
transmitted  from  the  father  to  the  daughter  and  from 
the  mother  to  the  son,  by  a  kind  of  inter-crossing  of 
sex.  This  is  still  another  illusion  that  experience  con- 
tradicts. The  change  offers  all  kinds  of  surprises; 
the  real  truth  being  that  nobody  can  tell  how  it  will 
result.  Now  it  is  only  when  this  evolution  is  abso- 
lutely complete  that  the  individual,  whether  man  or 
woman,  finds  himself  in  possession  of  his  true  voice; 
and  it  is  only  then,  in  the  immense  majority  of  cases, 
that  he  thinks  of  cultivating  it  and  learning  to  sing. 

To  learn  to  sing  more  or  less  correctly,  to  manage 
to  utter  sounds,  he  can  always  succeed  in  to  a  certain 
extent.  To  be  really  a  musician  and  to  sing  like  a 
great  and  intelligent  artist  is  infinitely  more  rare. 
And  this  can  very  easily  be  understood,  for  he  has 
passed  the  age  when  the  malleable  mind  learns  music 
like  a  simple  language;  he  no  longer  possesses  the 
suppleness  of  a  child,  and  all  that  formerly  would 
have  been  nothing  but  play  for  him  becomes  a  study 
full  of  aridity. 

For  this  condition  of  things,  there  should  be  a  rem- 
edy, a  remedy  so  much  the  more  simple  and  judicious 
[186] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

in  that  it  would  only  be  a  return  to  an  old  practice 
that  had  always  and  everywhere  given  excellent  re- 
sults, and  the  abandonment  of  which,  for  some  un- 
known reason,  is  certainly  most  regrettable. 

We  can  conceive  how  ridiculous  parents  would  be 
who,  before  the  definitive  voice  manifested  itself, 
should  pretend  peremptorily  to  decide  that  they  would 
make  a  singer  of  their  son,  or  a  lyric  artist  of  their 
daughter.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  what  can  be  very 
readily  understood  is  that  they  should  have  this  de- 
sire, either  because  such  has  been  their  own  career, 
that  it  has  pleased  them,  that  they  have  succeeded  in 
it  and  that  they  might  be  patrons  of  it,  or  from  an 
inverse  sentiment,  the  result  of  the  regret  that  they 
have  experienced  at  not  being  able  to  be  singers  them- 
selves for  some  reason  or  other. 

If  such  a  thought  rises  in  their  minds,  the  follow- 
ing is  certainly  the  best  course  that  we  can  advise : 
As  soon  as  possible,  about  nine  years  of  age,  for  ex- 
ample, simultaneously  commence  the  study  of  solfeg- 
gio and  the  piano,  as  already  shown  in  the  second 
chapter.  At  the  same  time,  cause  to  be  given  to  the 
child,  by  a  very  prudent  and  very  intelligent  teacher, 
real  singing  lessons,  exceedingly  short,  not  longer 
than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  a  day,  but  dealing  with  the 
good  emission  of  tone,  correctness,  suppleness,  respira- 
tion and  vocalization,  without  ever  exceeding  the 
range  of  his  little  voice,  and  particularly  without 
trying  to  make  him  reach  either  high  or  low  notes. 
(It  is  by  this  method,  a  veritable  gymnastics  of  the 
lungs,  which  can  never  injure  the  health,  but,  on  the 
[187] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

contrary,  will  improve  the  general  condition,  by 
strengthening  the  respiratory  apparatus,  that  many 
singers  of  the  beautiful  Italian  school  who  sought  to 
form  their  voices  were  brought  up. )  If  the  youthful 
pupil  takes  pleasure  in  this  study,  and  if  his  voice  is 
not  too  thin,  do  not  fear  to  let  him  participate  in 
choral  exercises  suitable  for  children's  voices,  and  to 
make  him  sing  in  church  and  in  the  maitrises;  but 
never  force  him  if  it  causes  him  any  fatigue.  Con- 
tinue in  this  manner  until  the  change  makes  its  ap- 
pearance. 

Here  we  must  make  a  distinction. 

If  we  are  dealing  with  a  boy,  to  watch  for  the  ad- 
vance signs  of  the  change,  such  as  hoarseness,  etc., 
and  immediately,  without  a  day's  delay,  to  suppress 
deliberately  all  vocal  exercise,  song  and  solfeggio,  and 
this  radically,  without  a  single  infraction ;  and  to  for- 
bid him  to  join  in  even  noisy  games  in  which  there  is 
too  loud  shouting;  to  treat  him  in  fact  as  one  would 
do  if  he  had  some  throat  disease;  during  the  whole 
time  that  the  change  lasts,  which  is  several  years,  to 
insist  upon  work  at  the  piano,  theory,  dictation,  with- 
out forgetting  studies  outside  of  music,  that  are  as 
useful  to  a  singer  as  his  special  studies,— all  this  must 
never  be  lost  sight  of. 

If  we  are  dealing  with  a  girl,  we  must  not  wait  till 
the  change  asserts  itself,  because  we  know  that  it  will 
not  make  itself  felt ;  but  consider  it  as  begun  at  the 
age  of  thirteen,  in  which  we  shall  seldom  be  mistaken. 
We  must  thenceforth  interrupt  singing  lessons,  prop- 
erly so  called,  because  they  always  occasion  a  little 
[188] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

fatigue  to  the  larynx,  but  we  may  with  impunity  con- 
tinue a  moderate  exercise  of  solfeggio,  in  low  tones, 
and  limited  to  those  notes  that  are  produced  without 
any  effort.  Apart  from  this,  proceed  as  with  boys, 
avoid  all  tempestuous  vocal  outbursts,  take  care  of 
the  larynx  and  be  more  than  usually  careful  to  avoid 
everything  that  might  cause  a  cold  or  quinsy ;  more- 
over, do  not  neglect  the  study  of  the  piano;  this  can- 
not be  too  often  repeated. 

Everything  is  in  this:  to  have  acquired  the  art  of 
singing  before  this  physiological  epoch,  and  to  leave 
the  organ  quiet  whilst  the  evolution  is  operating,  with- 
out however  abandoning  the  study  of  music,  by  fre- 
quenting concerts  and  theatres  if  possible,  by  hearing 
and  appreciating  the  great  singers,  in  one  word,  by 
giving  free  play  during  this  period  of  waiting  to  all 
that  is  likely  to  purify  the  taste  and  elevate  the 
judgment. 

When  it  is  thought  that  the  change  is  completed, 
the  scholar's  new  voice  should  be  tried  in  the  presence 
of  his  old  master,  who  will  be  the  best  judge  to  de- 
cide the  opportune  moment  for  resuming  the  studies, 
greatly  simplified  thenceforward ;  for,  if  it  has  pleased 
Nature  to  gratify  the  pupil  with  a  fine  voice,  in  a  few 
months  he  will  be  able  to  make  use  of  it  as  if  he  had 
worked  for  five  or  six  years,  with  the  additional  and  in- 
estimable advantage  of  not  having  tired  it  with  this 
careful  work  that  has  been  done  on  his  provisional 
child-voice ; — his  milk-voice,  I  was  going  to  say.  Ex- 
actly the  same  thing  will  happen  to  him  that  we  have 
already  seen  happen  to  the  little  violinists  who,  after 
[189] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

having  practised  on  a  small  instrument,  take  a  real 
violin  in  their  hands ;  in  a  few  weeks,  or  months,  hav- 
ing already  learned  how  to  sing,  he  will  have  made 
intimate  acquaintance  with  his  new  organ,  he  will 
have  recognized  its  qualities  and  defects  (for  there  is 
no  absolutely  perfect,  natural  voice),  and  perhaps, 
who  knows?  he  will  be  his  own  best  master  for  the 
future.  In  any  case,  he  will  never  allow  himself  to  be 
badly  guided. 

In  support  of  this  thesis,  which  some  people  will 
find  too  beautiful,  I  can  quote  a  very  great  authority, 
that  of  the  illustrious  singer  Faure,  who  thus  expresses 
himself  in  his  celebrated  book :  "  The  art  of  singing 
is  passing  through  a  period  unfavourable  to  its  pros- 
perity. .  .  .  We  will  mention  first  among  the 
multiple  causes  of  the  decline  of  the  art  of  singing, 
the  abandonment  into  which  the  study  of  religious 
music  has  fallen  since  the  almost  complete  disappear- 
ance of  the  mattrises.  These  schools  were  at  the  same 
time,  although  indirectly,  excellent  and  fertile  nur- 
series for  our  operatic  stages;  it  is  well  known  what 
musicians  and  organists,  what  singers  and  illustrious 
composers  this  school  has  produced.  There  was  no 
reason  to  fear  that  the  choice  of  the  pupils  would 
turn  rather  to  the  church  than  to  the  theatre;  the 
latter  possesses,  in  fact,  pecuniary  resources  against 
which  it  will  always  be  hard  for  the  church  to  strug- 
gle. This  is  a  great  argument  that  naturally  weighs 
very  heavily  in  the  balance  with  young  people  in  their 
choice  of  a  career. 

I  shall  meet  with  the  objection  that  one  cannot 
[190'] 


destine  a  child  for  the  lyric  career  without  exposing 
oneself  to  cruel  misreckonings ;  it  may  even  be  added 
that  the  stay  in  a  maltrise  will  not  be  of  the  slightest 
use  to  it  if  the  transformation  of  its  child  voice  into 
a  man's  voice  is  not  accomplished  as  happily  as  one 
could  hope  for.  There  will  none  the  less  remain  in 
him  the  material  for  an  excellent  musician  who  is  able 
to  direct  his  efforts  in  another  line  and  create  a  place 
for  himself  among  the  teachers  and  instrumentalists 
who  people  our  orchestras,  and  even  among  the  com- 
posers." * 

This  is  exactly  the  point  I  wanted  to  reach.  When 
the  crisis  of  the  change  is  once  definitely  passed  and 
leaves  a  voice  that  is  not  worth  cultivation,  the  fact 
must  be  regarded  as  regrettable,  that  is  certain,  but 
nevertheless  it  must  not  be  considered  that  the  time 
spent  on  the  infantine  studies  has  been  lost ;  far  from 
that,  only  they  must  be  employed  in  attaining  an- 
other goal.  If  they  have  been  directed  in  the  way 
above  indicated,  or  in  some  other  way  proceeding 
from  the  same  ideas,  the  pupil  will  be  found  to  have 
acquired  by  the  study  of  solfeggio  great  ability  as  a 
reader,  and  further,  a  certain  skill  at  the  piano ;  and, 
still  more,  an  intimate  knowledge  of  what  vocal  mech- 
anism is,  a  matter  as  precious  to  every  instrumental- 
ist as  to  the  composer.  He  will  then  be  in  a  good 
position  to  continue  his  musical  studies  by  modify- 
ing their  direction  whilst  having  nevertheless  as- 
sured to  them  a  solid  base  and  one  that  is  the  best 
of  all. 

*  J.  Faure,  La  Voix  et  le  chant. 

[191] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

The  maitrises,*  of  which  Faure  speaks,  no  longer 
<f!xist,  or  have  become  extremely  rare;  it  does  not  fall 
within  the  scope  of  this  work  to  discuss  the  desirability 
f>i  their  re-establishment,  but  there  is  nothing  to  pre- 
sent the  application  of  their  programme  (solfeggio, 
the  elements  of  harmony,  singing,  choral  singing, 
piano  and  organ)  to  every  child  of  whom  we  wish  to 
make  a  musician,  and  if  possible,  a  singer  of  real 
talent. 

This  is  how  the  Larousse  Dictionnaire,  which  can- 
not be  suspected  of  tenderness  for  anything  touching 
religious  instruction,  expresses  itself :  "  The  maitrises 
were  formerly  schools  of  music  attached  to  the  cathe- 
drals, and  in  them  youths  and  children,  kept  and  edu- 
cated at  the  expense  of  the  Chapter,  received  a  com- 
plete musical  instruction  and  furnished  the  chapel 
music,  sometimes  as  singers  and  sometimes  as  instru- 
mentalists. Before  the  establishment  of  the  Paris 
Conservatoire,  the  creation  of  which,  as  well  as  that 
of  the  Ecole  des  mines  and  the  Ecole  Poly  technique, 
was  the  work  of  that  immortal  Convention  which  knew 
how  to  think  of  everything,  the  only  music-schools 
existing  in  France  were  the  maitrises,  and  we  may  say 
that  it  is  to  them  that  we  owe  the  real  progress  of  our 
country,  so  far  as  music  is  concerned,  before  the  Revo- 
lution. Their  instruction  was  not  at  all  perfect,  cer- 
tainly, it  was  even  very  incomplete,  since,  from  the 
practical  point  of  view,  it  devoted  itself  exclusively 

*  There  are  six  in  France,  supported  by  the  State,  at  Langres, 
Montpelier,  Moulins,  Nevers,  Rheims,  and  Rodez ;  in  Germany, 
at  Dresden  and  Leipzig. 

[192] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

to  the  study  of  religious  music ;  but  it  is  none  the  less 
true  that  the  maitrises  furnished  even  our  theatres 
with  a  great  number  of  artists  of  real  talent,  and  that 
such  and  such  a  singer  of  renown  owed  his  education 
to  such  and  such  an  establishment  of  this  nature. 
.  .  .  It  is  certain  that  from  a  general  point  of  view 
these  institutions,  scattered  and  multiplied  over  the 
whole  surface  of  the  country,  rendered  considerable 
services,  not  only  by  reason  of  the  teaching  they 
propagated,  but  also  on  account  of  the  musical  taste 
that  they  developed  on  every  side." 

On  the  same  subject,  moreover,  here  is  the  opinion 
of  one  of  the  masters  of  French  art :  "  It  was  the  nur- 
Bery  whence  all  the  musicians,  instrumentalists,  sing- 
ers, or  composers  were  drawn.  The  Church  worked 
then  for  the  Theatre,  and  the  male  personnel  of  the 
opera  was  recruited  only  in  the  maitrises.  As  for  the 
female  singers,  they  formed  themselves.  In  the  im- 
itative arts,  women  have  the  livelier  perception  and 
the  finer  sentiment;  they  learn  better  and  more 
quickly."  * 

It  might  be  added  that  it  is  also  certain  that  these 
schools,  created  especially  for  liturgical  chant  and  for 
the  needs  of  worship,  did  not  form  voices  as  flexible 
as  those  of  the  Italian  school  of  the  same  epoch,  which 
tried  above  all  to  produce  theatrical  singers.  There- 
fore their  enemies  could  not  find  words  bitter  enough 
*'  to  blast  this  teaching  of  singing  that  stopped  short 
at  the  change  of  voice,"  not  taking  into  account  that 

*  Adolphe  Adam. — Souvenirs  cTunmusicien. — (Notice  sur  J.  J. 
Rousseau.) 

[193] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

among  those  who,  after  this  wise  period  of  halt  "  had 
preserved  their  voices,  there  were  found  a  good  num- 
ber "  who  then  returned  as  soloists  or  choristers,  or 
"  were  employed  in  the  theatres." 

On  the  other  hand,  it  was  admirably  conceived,  its 
results  were  excellent,  and  we  may  take  this  ancient 
institution,  so  unhappily  dismantled,  as  an  almost 
perfect  model. 

The  change  being  completed,  whether  one  has 
learned  to  sing  beforehand  or  not,  the  first  great  ques- 
tion that  presents  itself,  the  fundamental  question,  is 
to  know  whether  we  are  in  presence  of  a  voice  that  can 
be  put  to  use.  Here,  nothing  can  replace  the  enlight- 
ened opinion  of  a  professor,  and  indeed  one  of  the 
greatest  experience.  It  is  not  sufficient  for  him  to 
know  how  to  sing  very  well  and  to  be  the  possessor  of 
great  talent.  Above  all,  it  is  necessary  for  him  to 
have  had  a  long  practice  in  teaching,  and  to  have  al- 
ready had  many  young  pupils  pass  through  his 
hands,  for  nothing  is  more  delicate  or  more  subject 
to  error  than  the  diagnosis  that  is  required  of  him. 
Therefore,  in  this  case,  we  should  seek  a  veritable  au- 
thority in  singing,  and  accept  only  with  the  greatest 
reserve  the  appreciations  of  teachers  of  the  second  or 
third  order,  who  always  find  you  with  a  voice,  if  only 
for  the  sake  of  getting  an  extra  pupil  and  enlarging 
their  field  of  experience.  Furthermore,  we  must  not 
be  astonished  if  the  very  serious  teacher  whom  we  have 
selected  as  an  expert  docs  not  immediately  give  his 
opinion,  but  asks  permission  to  repeat  the  test  on  days 
separated  by  various  intervals  of  time,  prescribing  ex« 
[194] 


THE    STUDY    OP    SINGING 

ercises  ad  hoc  to  be  performed  in  the  meantime ;  01 .  on 
the  contrary,  according  to  circumstances,  the  observ- 
ance of  complete  repose,  in  order  to  be  able  to  judge, 
the  better  at  each  examination,  of  the  development  of 
the  voice  and  its  progressive  expansion,  from  which  he 
may  succeed  in  deducing  what  may  be  hoped  of  it  in 
the  future. 

It  is  necessary  to  know  how  to  submit  to  all  these 
exigencies,  for  which  there  may  be  good  reason. 

For,  we  must  not  deceive  ourselves,  a  natural  voice, 
that  is  to  say  after  the  change,  is  almost  always  very 
different  from  what  it  will  become  when  once  cultivat- 
ed, and  great  sagacity,  in  combination  with  much  deli- 
cate observation,  is  requisite  to  foresee  with  any  de- 
gree of  certainty  in  what  way  it  will  be  modified  later, 
whether  naturally  or  under  the  influence  of  study. 

There  are  many  instances  of  tenors,  even  after 
many  years,  who  have  become  barytones  or  basses ; 
and  surprises  of  the  same  nature  also  present  them- 
selves in  women's  voices. 

But  here  we  are  anticipating;  let  us  return  to  the 
examination  of  an  uncultivated  voice.  The  principal 
qualities  to  be  desired  in  it  are  a  good  timbre  and  a 
certain  degree  of  natural  flexibility.  Strength  and 
volume  increase  with  age  and  study.  By  processes 
known  to  every  teacher,  we  easily  manage  to  extend 
the  compass  and  gain  several  notes,  especially  high 
ones ;  but  a  bad  timbre  is  hard  to  modify,  and  flexi- 
bility cannot  be  developed  unless  the  organ  already 
possesses  some  natural  elasticity.  It  is  therefore  to 
these  points  that  we  shall  see  the  master  of  the  art  of 
[195] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

singing,  to  whom  we  have  submitted  the  case,  pay  par- 
ticular attention,  only  taking  secondary  notice  of  such 
and  such  a  beautiful  low  or  high  note,  that,  on  the 
contrary,  the  pupil  will  be  inclined  to  exhibit  to  him 
as  a  jewel.  But  he  will  also  examine  other  things, — 
the  general  structure,  the  capacity  of  the  lungs,  and 
the  physiognomy  and  conformation  of  the  mouth, 
which  are  of  great  importance  in  the  emission  of  the 
voice,  for  it  is  in  the  mouth-cavity  that  the  timbre  is 
produced. 

It  should  also  be  taken  into  consideration  that  a 
great  and  powerful  voice  is  not  indispensable  even  for 
the  theatre,  contrary  to  a  somewhat  generally  pre- 
vailing impression,  for  there  we  see  every  day  voices 
medium  in  intensity  but  fine  in  timbre  and  distinction, 
outdo  others  of  greater  volume  that  are  lacking  in  the 
seductiveness  exercised  by  good  emission.  It  does  not 
follow  that  volume  and  force  are  to  be  despised,  but 
they  are  not  the  principal  things,  and  it  is  particularly 
by  the  good  pronunciation  that  the  voice  manages  to 
dominate  the  orchestra  and  penetrate  into  the  remote 
corners  of  a  vast  hall.  Let  us  add  that  an  amateur  who 
knows  how  to  manage  his  voice  can  be  charming  and 
exquisite  in  the  drawing-room  with  a  very  restricted 
volume,  and  that  there  again  what  is  most  desirable  is 
purity,  in  combination  with  flexibility  and  clearness 
of  articulation. 

Finally,  when  it  can  be  asserted  that  all  the  condi- 
tions requisite  for  forming  a  singer  or  cantatrice  ex- 
ist, it  is  important  not  to  choose  a  teacher  lightly, 
but  to  place  oneself  in  safe  hands. 
[196] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

For  that  again,  we  may  have  recourse  to  the  enlight- 
ened advice  of  the  same  eminent  master,  for  even  if  he 
is  not  disposed  personally  to  guide  the  first  labours  of 
beginners,  which  is  quite  probable,  it  is  also  probable 
that  among  his  own  pupils,  or  in  his  personal  follow- 
ing, there  is  some  young  artist  who  has  been  brought 
up  in  a  good  school  whom  he  will  be  able  to  recom- 
mend as  worthy  of  confidence,  while  still  retaining 
general  direction  and  supervising  the  studies  by  means 
of  hearings  at  considerable  intervals ;  and  this  period- 
ical control  will  be  at  the  same  time  the  best  of  stimu- 
lants both  for  the  pupil  and  the  teacher. 

If  for  any  reason,  one  does  not  succeed  in  obtain- 
ing this  exalted  direction,  there  is  so  much  the  more 
reason  to  surround  oneself  with  a  thousand  precau- 
tions and  enlightened  advice  so  as  knowingly  to  apply 
only  to  a  teacher  of  great  care  and  prudence ;  for,  in 
any  kind  of  study,  whether  music  or  other,  nothing 
approaches  in  importance  the  choice  of  an  elementary 
teacher.  It  is  easy  to  understand  this  when  we  remem- 
ber that  his  mission  consists  not  so  much  at  the  outset 
in  teaching  how  to  sing,  as  to  fashion,  to  bend  and 
sometimes  even  to  transform  the  instrument  that 
Nature  has  given  in  the  crude  state,  and  all  this  by 
means  of  a  few  simple  exercises,  always  v)ery  simple, 
that  never  cause  any  fatigue. 

If  the  slightest  fatigue  manifests  itself,  it  is  be- 
cause the  teacher  is  incompetent,  or  that  he  does  not 
suit  you,  which  may  happen,  and  amounts  to  the 
same  thing.  If,  at  the  end  of  two  or  three  months, 
your  voice  has  not  been  modified  to  some  extent,  in 
[197] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  direction  of  improvement,  it  is  again  because  you 
have  an  ill-chosen  teacher ;  for  the  first  steps  of  prog- 
ress should  be  somewhat  rapid.  In  either  case,  it  is 
better  to  make  a  change,  and  as  soon  as  possible;  for 
the  pernicious  influence  of  a  teacher  who  ill  conducts 
this  first  part  of  the  studies  may  result  in  the  total 
loss  of  the  voice,  which  is  irremediable. 

What  still  further  increases  the  difficulty  in  this 
grave  question  of  the  choice  of  an  elementary  teacher, 
is  that,  nowadays,  I  know  not  why,  everybody  calls 
himself  a  professor  of  singing;  and  the  directories 
swarm  with  them.  In  the  first  place,  all  the  accom- 
panists who  belong  to  a  singing-class,  in  good  faith 
by  that  sole  fact  believe  themselves  to  possess  the  de- 
sired capacities.  There  is  no  doubt  that  they  might 
attain  them,  but  at  least  they  are  lacking  in  personal 
experience.  I  know  violinists  and  pianists  who  have 
never  had  the  slightest  voice,  and  have  never  at- 
tempted to  sing,  who  boldly  dub  themselves  pro- 
fessors of  singing ;  while  others  consider  that  it  is  suf- 
ficient to  have  an  Italian  name,  or  to  Italianize  their 
own.  We  can  see  from  this  with  what  sage  circum- 
spection it  is  advisable  to  proceed  before  confiding  so 
delicate  and  fragile  an  organ  as  a  freshly  formed 
larynx  to  a  professor  who  by  inappropriate  exercises 
can  ruin  it  for  ever.  It  has  sometimes  been  said  that 
a  female  teacher  is  better  suited  for  women  and  a  male 
for  men.  This  does  not  seem  to  me  in  any  way  jus- 
tified, and  many  examples  have  shown  me  that  it  is 
a  matter  of  absolute  indifference,  at  least  for  the 
present;  later  on,  we  shall  see.  What  is  of  essential 
[198] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

importance  for  the  moment,  whatever  the  sex  of  the 
pupil  may  be,  is  to  deal  with  a  master  who  has  already 
given  proofs  of  ability  by  forming  good  singers,  and 
one  who  himself  has  sung  with  talent.  Whether  he 
has  preserved  or  lost  his  own  voice  matters  little,  for 
he  will  very  seldom  have  to  set  an  example,  and 
enough  voice  will  always  be  left  to  him  to  make  him- 
self understood.  If  he  has  preserved  it,  however,  that 
can  only  be  an  extra  inducement,  as  it  shows  at  least 
that  he  has  known  how  to  manage  himself  well. 

The  first  care  of  the  teacher,  in  the  first  lessons, 
should  be  to  classify  the  voice,  that  is  to  say,  to  de- 
termine, at  least  provisionally,  in  view  of  what  kind 
of  voice  it  is  advisable  to  exercise  it.  This  is  already 
a  very  difficult  matter,  since  it  is  rarely  that  in  the 
native  state  a  voice  presents  itself  with  entire  frank- 
ness; and  opinions  regarding  it  may  very  often  dif- 
fer: where  one  professor  will  see  a  barytone,  another 
will  find  the  material  for  a  tenor.  Two  things  alone 
can  guide  us :  range  and  timbre.  The  range  being 
essentially  modifiable  by  study,  certain  professors 
base  their  opinions  solely  on  the  timbre;  it  is  neces- 
sary, nevertheless,  that  these  two  factors  shall  not  be 
in  too  flagrant  contradiction,  whence  arise  hesitations 
and  tergiversations  that  are  sometimes  quite  justified 
and  even  inevitable,  when  we  find  ourselves  in  the  pres- 
ence of  an  organ  that  becomes  modified  of  itself,  as 
often  happens,  as  we  have  already  said. 

A  large  number  of  modern  methods  begin  by  teach- 
ing the  pupil  the  anatomy  of  the  larynx.  This  gives 
them  a  very  learned  air,  and  leads  one  to  believe  that 
[199] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  authors  have  taken  the  trouble  to  dissect  the  wind- 
pipe; but  it  seems  to  me  to  be  an  absolutely  useless 
piece  of  knowledge  for  the  pupil.  He  will  sing  neither 
better  nor  worse  just  because  he  knows  that  the  voice 
is  due  to  the  sonorous  vibration  of  the  vocal  cords, 
constituted  by  the  thyro-arytenoidian  muscles.  When 
he  shall  have  been  taught  that  in  the  chest-voice  the 
fibrous  and  mucous  layers  of  the  vocal  cord  both 
vibrate,  whilst  the  larynx  and  the  pharynx  contract 
and  the  glottis  tightens  f"  whilst  in  the  head  voice,  the 
larynx  is  relaxed,  the  glottis  opened,  the  pharynx  dis- 
tended, and  the  mucous  layer  alone  of  the  vocal  cord 
vibrates,  ought  he  to  try  to  produce  these  special 
actions  in  his  throat  in  order  to  give  a  head  or  chest 
note?  And  when  from  physiology  he  learns  that  the 
nasal  cavities,  the  ethnoidal  cellules,  the  maxillary, 
frontal  and  sphenoidal  sinus  communicate  with  his 
mouth  and  powerfully  contribute  to  form  the  timbre 
of  his  voice,  will  he  know  any  better  how  to  modify 
this  timbre?  Assuredly  not.  Therefore,  accord- 
ing to  my  own  conviction,  all  this  knowledge  will 
not  aid  him  in  the  slightest  degree  in  understanding 
the  lessons  of  a  good  teacher,  nor  in  practising  after 
his  example  a  good  respiration,  a  good  emission  of 
voice  and  a  good  pronunciation. 

It  is  as  though  one  should  pretend  to  teach  soldiers 
to  march  with  commands  of  the  following  nature : 

"  Contract  your  femoral  biceps !  " 

"  Relax  the  triceps !  " 

"  Distend  the  adducent  muscles !  " 

They  would  much  more  readily  understand: 
[200] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

— One,  two — one,  two — particularly  if  the  cor- 
poral were  to  add  the  example  to  the  word. 

This  makes  us  think  of  the  scene  between  M.  Jour- 
dain  and  his  teacher  of  philosophy : 

Master :  "  The  vowel  A  is  formed  by  opening  wide 
the  mouth:  A." 

M.  Jourdain :  "  A,  A.    Yes !  " 

Master :  "  The  vowel  E  is  formed  by  bringing  the 
lower  jaw  close  to  the  upper  one :  A,  E." 

Jourdain  :  "A,  E ;  A,  E.  Faith,  yes !  Ah,  how 
fine  that  is !  " 

Master :  "  And  the  vowel  I,  by  again  bringing  both 
jaws  together  and  stretching  the  corners  of  the  mouth 
out  towards  the  ears,  A,  E,  I." 

Jourdain :  "  A,  E,  I,  I,  I.  That  is  true.  Long 
live  science !  " 

Master :  "  The  vowel  O  is  formed  by  opening  the 
jaws  again,  and  bringing  the  corners  of  the  lips  to- 
gether :  O." 

Jourdain :  "  O,  O.  Nothing  can  be  truer ;  A,  E,  I, 
O,  I,  O.  That  is  admirable.  I,  O ;  I,  O." 

Master :  "  The  opening  of  the  mouth  makes  a  sort 
of  little  circle  that  represents  an  O  ...  I  will 
thoroughly  explain  all  these  curiosities.  .  .  ."  * 

There  he  is  well  advanced.  Will  he  know  any  bet- 
ter how  to  speak  afterwards? 

Whether  such  a  study  of  the  physiology  of  the 
voice  is  desirable  for  the  professor  even  is  debatable; 
perhaps  (?)  at  the  utmost  it  might  enlighten  him  in 
the  selection  of  the  exercises  of  pure  vocal  gymnastics 
*  Moliere,  Le  Bourgeois  Gentilhomme,  Act  I.,  Scene  VI. 
14  [  201  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

that  might  suit  such  or  such  a  pupil,  but  then  only 
on  the  express  condition  that  this  study  is  complete 
and  not  superficial,  as  is  almost  always  the  case.  To 
make  it  complete,  it  must  be  extended  over  the  whole 
range  of  the  respiratory  apparatus,  from  the  lungs 
and  the  muscles  of  the  breast  to  the  nasal  cavities  and 
the  nose,  which  play  an  important  part  in  the  forma- 
tion of  the  timbre:  which  would  inevitably  lead,  in 
order  to  arrive  at  a  comprehension,  physiologically 
speaking,  of  the  functions  of  all  these  organs,  in- 
timately related  as  they  are  with  all  the  others,  to  a 
study  of  general  anatomy.  If  this  utility  were  really 
demonstrated,  the  best  professor  of  singing  would 
be  the  doctor — the  laryngologist, — which  will  not 
bear  examination.  There  is  nothing  worse  than  the 
demi-savants,  and  nothing  more  pretentious.  The 
old  professors  of  the  great  Italian  period  of  the  bel 
cmtte,  who,  we  must  frankly  confess,  could  easily  give 
us  lessons  in  the  art  of  forming  the  voice  and  render- 
ing it  flexible,  did  not  trouble  themselves  with  this 
superfluous  knowledge.  They  proceeded  empirically, 
it  will  be  said;  that  is  possible,  but  what  is  certain  is 
that  they  obtained  results  which  we  no  longer  do. 

II.  THE  BET,  CANTO,  RELATION  OF  SINGING  TO  THE 
GENIUS  or  A  LANGUAGE,  METHODS,  VOCALIZA- 
TION AND  PERIOD  OF  DAILY  STUDIES 

It  is  true  to  say  also  that  nowadays  what  is  de- 
manded of  singers  is  no  longer  what  was  demanded 
of  them  then.     At  that  time,  the  ideal  singing  was 
[202] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

an  almost  instrumental  virtuosity,  an  incredible 
agility,  comparable  to  that  of  the  flute,  trills, 
roulades,  chromatic  scales,  arpeggios,  ornaments  of 
every  kind  and  gorgheggi  *  which  skilful  singers 
did  not  hesitate  to  introduce  into  the  score  of  the  com- 
poser, even  in  the  most  dramatic  situations,  even  to 
the  extent  of  disfiguring  it  and  rendering  it  entirely 
unrecognizable,  with  the  sole  and  frankly-avowed 
aim  of  setting  in  relief  their  prodigious  ability  and 
showing  off  their  most  beautiful  notes.  Some  of  them 
had  favourite  features,  cadences,  or  finales,  that  they 
adopted  invariably  in  all  their  roles.  This  was  the 
reign  of  singing  for  the  sake  of  song,  and  it  must  be 
acknowledged  that  the  music  was  only  a  pretext  for 
vocal  flutterings  and  warblings  of  the  utmost  ele- 
gance. The  composers  lent  themselves  to  this  with 
complete  indifference  and  were  perfectly  willing  to 
accept  this  collaboration  of  the  singer,  provided  that 
it  indirectly  attracted  success  and  plaudits  for  the 
work.  Certain  operas  of  this  epoch  show  this  clearly. 
In  them  we  can  scarcely  see  anything  but  canevas  des- 
tined to  disappear  under  numberless  fiorituras  com- 
pletely disfiguring  the  author's  original  idea. 

It  is  at  this  point  that  Manual  Garcia,f  one  of  the 
last  representatives  of  this  school,  cynically  entitles 
"  Of  Changes,"  one  of  the  chapters  of  his  work,  in 
which  we  may  read  such  things  as  this :  "  In  tracing 
their  ideas,  the  authors  counted  upon  the  accent  and 
the  accessories  that  the  talent  of  the  singer  was  able 

*  Gorghegghiare,  in  Italian  means  to  trill,  to  warble  like  birds, 
t  Complete  Treatise  on  the  Art  of  Singing. 

[203] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

to  add  to  the  work.  There  are  different  kinds  of 
pieces  which,  by  reason  of  their  nature,  are  confided 
to  the  free  and  learned  inspiration  of  the  exec- 
utant." 

In  that  beautiful  age  of  the  Italian  bel  canto,  when 
the  singer's  mission  was  very  different  from  the  con- 
ception of  to-day,  to  study  a  role  consisted  in  adjust- 
ing it  to  one's  own  measure  by  almost  entirely  re-mak- 
ing the  vocal  part  so  as  to  show  off  the  eminent 
virtuosity  of  the  interpreter. 

The  sentiment  was  only  a  secondary  consideration : 
an  artist  was  reputed  to  have  a  heart  when  he  held  a 
sufficiently  prolonged  organ-point  on  the  last  note  but 
one  of  a  phrase. 

All  that  is  of  small  importance.  What  is  certain 
is  that  in  order  to  attain  that  prodigious  degree  of 
agility,  which  was  then  the  pinnacle  of  the  singer's 
art,  the  Italians  were  in  possession  of  admirable  meth- 
ods, and  knew  how  to  work  patiently  for  long  years 
without  breaking  their  voices  and  without  tiring  them. 

The  modern  art  has  altogether  different  require- 
ments. It  demands  infinitely  less  virtuosity ;  and,  in 
revenge,  it  exacts  a  respect  for  the  note  written,  an 
artistic  intelligence,  a  concord  of  sentiment  between 
the  poetic  text  and  the  musical  accent,  an  expressive 
and  emotional  intensity  which  the  eminent  singers 
of  the  beautiful  Italian  period  made  the  least  of  their 
cares.  We  strive  to  charm  and  to  interest  more  than 
to  astonish.  With  them  it  was  the  contrary. 

There  is  still  another  thing  to  be  considered.  Peo- 
ple do  not  sing  in  the  same  way  in  all  countries,  and 
[204] 


they  could  not  do  so.  The  manner  of  singing  is  in- 
timately connected  with  the  genius  of  a  language. 
Thus  it  is  that  the  art  of  vocalization,  which  attains 
its  highest  point  among  the  Italians,  whose  language, 
rich  in  vowels,  in  long  and  short  syllable  and  in 
rhythmical  accents,  is  already  almost  a  music,  would 
not  have  been  able  to  develop  among  the  Germans, 
who  sing  almost  constantly  upon  consonants.  These 
two  languages,  so  opposed  by  their  origin  and  by  their 
sonority,  could  but  engender  two  diametrically  op- 
posed schools  of  singing,  one  energetic  and  guttural, 
the  other  supple  and  elegant.  The  French  singers, 
of  Latin  race,  sided  more  closely  with  their  Italian 
brethren,  whom  they  for  a  long  time  forced  them- 
selves to  imitate,  sometimes  succeeding.  Thus  they 
were  easily  led  to  believe  that  the  Germans  did  not 
know  how  to  sing,  simply  because  they  sang  differ- 
ently from  themselves.  This  is  quite  as  simple  as  if 
they  believed  that  the  Germans  did  not  know  how 
to  speak  because  they  did  not  speak  French.  A  Ger- 
man Lied  becomes  as  ridiculous  when  we  sing  it  in  the 
Italian  style  as  would  be  a  Cavatina  of  Donizetti's 
translated  into  German.  To  every  idiom,  its  own 
music  and  national  interpretation.  That  is  why  a 
work  when  translated  loses  the  half  of  its  savour  and 
poetry ;  homogeneous  though  it  was,  it  becomes  whim- 
sical, and  the  interpreter,  however  talented  he  may 
be,  more  especially  if  he  possesses  much  talent  and 
tact,  finds  that  he  has  lost  his  bearings,  and  is  left 
hesitating  between  the  spirit  of  the  literary  text  and 
the  musical  style,  which  do  not  accord. 
[205] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

This  explains  perfectly  why  the  art  of  singing, 
which  is  essentially  in  accord  with  the  various  lan- 
guages with  which  it  is  associated,  cannot  be  taught 
in  the  same  manner  in  all  countries,  which  would  be 
an  offence  against  good  taste,  since  the  results  ob- 
tainable are  not  the  same.  It  is  quite  natural  that 
the  professors,  French,  English,  German  and  Italian, 
should  employ  different  procedures,  having  to  attain 
dissimilar  ends:  this  can  be  very  readily  understood. 
But  what  is  strange,  and  what  I  do  not  undertake  to 
explain,  is  the  absolute  lack  of  unity  in  the  teaching 
of  singing,  and  the  prodigious  diversity  of  methods 
extolled  for  this  end,  that  we  meet  with  at  every  step, 
without  passing  the  limits  of  the  territory  of  any 
given  nationality  whatsoever.  Let  us  take  France.  It 
seems,  does  it  not,  that  there  is  and  that  there  can  be 
only  one  single  true  way  of  singing  in  good  French. 
Very  well.  Whilst  for  a  very  long  time  all  the  violin 
or  piano  methods,  not  in  France  alone,  but  in  the  whole 
world,  resemble  one  another  point  by  point  and  ap- 
pear to  have  been  minutely  copied  from  one  another, 
yet  the  most  extraordinary  divergencies  continue  to 
exist  with  regard  to  the  fundamental  principles  of  the 
study  of  an  art  which  seems  so  simple  in  itself ;  for  in- 
contestably  "  Song  is  as  natural  as  speech  to  man- 
kind." * 

The  most  curious  thing  about  it  is  that  it  is  the 

same  in  all  countries,  and  that,  notwithstanding  the 

most  praiseworthy  efforts,  professors  of  singing  have 

not  yet  come  to  an  agreement  as  to  the  best  manner 

*  A.  Lavignac,  La  musique  et  lea  musiciens. 

[206] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

of  teaching  singing.  That  "  the  art  of  singing  up 
to  the  present  time  does  not  employ  technical  terms 
of  a  signification  that  is  accepted  by  all ;  "  that  "  two 
singers,  talking,  one  after  another,  of  their  registers, 
mediums,  or  passages,  are  perhaps  not  speaking  of 
the  same  vocal  particulars,"  *  this  alone  is  a  regret- 
table matter;  but  this  may  be'only  a  question  of  lan- 
guage, or  vocabulary.  But  what  is  still  more  grave 
and  strange  at  the  same  time  is.  to  maintain  complete 
divergences  regarding  the  very  processes  of  teaching 
and  their  applications.  So  many  professors,  so  many 
methods,  and  frequently  diametrically  opposed :  this 
is  indeed  incomprehensible.  And  most  astonishing  of 
all  is  the  fact  that  there  is  not  a  single  one  of  these 
teachers,  I  mean  here  the  great  masters,  who  have 
schools  and  are  qualified  to  write  methods,  there  is  not 
one,  I  repeat,  who  has  not  produced  some  remarkable 
pupils,  who,  in  their  turn,  invent  new  processes  and 
obtain  good  results  from  them. 

I  find  an  amusing  sally  on  this  subject  in  Rubin- 
etein's  Aphorisms: 

"  The  doctor  and  the  professor  of  singing  resemble 
one  another  in  many  points:  the  doctor  can  heal 
or  kill,  he  may  make  a  false  diagnosis ;  he  gladly 
invents  new  remedies,  and  always  finds  that  the 
doctor  who  preceded  him  did  not  understand  the 
case. 

The  professor  of  singing  can  place  a  voice  or  spoil 
it;  he  can  take  an  alto  for  a  soprano  voice,  and  vice 
versa;  he  is  anxious  to  invent  new  methods  of  teaching, 
*  Dr.  Castex,  Les  maladies  de  la  voix. 

[207] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

and  always  finds  also  that  the  professor  who  preceded 
him  gave  the  pupil  faulty  instructions. 

The  public  treats  these  specialists  both  in  the  same 
way.  It  has  confidence  in  charlatans.  Everybody 
recommends  with  equal  willingness  his  doctor,  or  his 
singing-master ;  and,  after  all,  it  is  still  Nature  who  is 
the  best  physician  and  the  best  singing-master."  * 

Upon  my  word,  this  is  as  well  conceived  as  it  is  wit- 
tily written. 

Does  this  mean  that  song  is  such  a  natural  thing 
that  all  methods  are  good,  or  all  useless?  One  would 
almost  be  tempted  to  believe  so.  In  fact,  some  profes- 
sors do  without  them  entirely,  and  invent  exercises  ap- 
propriate to  the  particular  nature  of  each  of  their  pu- 
pils, helping  to  develop  the  qualities  and  root  out  the 
faults  in  proportion  as  the  need  makes  itself  felL 
They  may  very  well  be  in  the  right.  Moreover,  after 
carefully  reading  over  a  couple  of  dozen  celebrated 
methods  that  I  was  already  thoroughly  well  acquaint- 
ed with,  I  would  not  venture  to  affirm  here  a  prefer- 
ence for  one  more  than  another.  I  would  rely  upon 
the  advice  of  experience  and  good  sense,  and  what- 
ever may  be  the  method  that  my  reader  has  in  his 
hand,  he  will  find  nothing  in  it  that  can  contradict  me. 

In  the  study  of  Singing,  just  as  in  the  instrumental 
studies  that  form  the  subject  of  the  preceding  chap- 
ter, there  is  room  for  two  distinct  parts,  one  of  mechan- 
ism, which  here  is  called  Vocalization,  and  the  other 
of  the  Art  of  Singing,  properly  so-called,  comprising 
*  A.  Rubinstein. 
[208] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

style,  phrasing  and  the  intelligent  taking  of  breath, 
etc. 

It  is  proper  to  begin  always  with  vocalization.  To 
vocalize  is  to  sing  a,  e,  i,  o,  u,  ou,  and  eu,  that  is  to 
say,  the  vowels  or  diphthongs,  without  making  use  of 
consonants. 

In  general,  people  vocalize  on  a  alone,  which  is 
wrong.  We  ought  to  exercise  successively  on  all  the 
vowels  that  belong  to  the  language  in  which  we  sing, 
as  well  as  their  various  modifications,  which  are  more 
or  less  favourable  to  the  emission  of  sound,  some  low, 
others  high. 

The  study  of  vocalization  comprises  exercises  of  all 
kinds  for  flexibility,  from  simple  separate  sounds  to 
the  complete  subjection  of  the  voice,  according  to 
Faure's  happy  expression,  by  going  through  the 
scales,  arpeggios,  chromatic  figures,  the  traits  and 
roulades  derived  from  them,  appogiatura,  and  trill. 
It  also  includes  the  placing  and  emission  of  the  voice, 
its  bearing,  the  union  of  the  registers,  passing  from 
one  to  another  (passing  from  the  chest  to  the  head 
register,  which  is  often  called  simply  the  passage,  is 
one  of  the  greatest  difficulties  in  the  art  of  singing), 
the  purity  of  the  timbre  and  the  certainty  of  intona- 
tion, etc.  It  is  the  study  of  the  voice  considered  as  an 
instrument. 

For  this  entire  part  of  vocal  technique,  it  is  certain 
that  we  cannot  be  better  inspired  than  with  the  ideas 
and  procedure,  if  not  the  methods  even,  which  are 
honoured  in  every  country,  of  the  old  Italian  school, 
which  carried  this  study  to  the  extreme  of  perfection. 
[209] 


I  think  it  will  be  interesting  to  borrow  a  few  para- 
graphs from  a  work  already  cited,  which,  although 
written  by  a  Spaniard,  the  son  of  a  Spaniard,*  justly 
stands  as  an  authority  on  the  question  of  Italian  sing- 
ing. 

"  It  is  not  sufficient  to  pick  up  a  few  notions  of 
music  in  haste ;  artists  are  not  improvizcd ;  they  form 
themselves  by  long  preparation ;  their  talent  must  be 
developed  early,  and  by  a  careful  education  and  spe- 
cial studies. 

The  special  education  of  the  singer  consists  of  the 
study  of  solfeggio,  then  that  of  an  instrument,  and 
lastly,  that  of  singing  and  harmony." 

He  does  not  say  what  instrument ;  but  he  could 
scarcely  have  any  other  in  view  than  the  piano,  the 
harp,  or  the  guitar, — instruments  of  accompaniment. 
Observe  also  that  he  places  this  study  of  an  instrument 
before  that  of  singing  itself,  and  that  he  demands  a 
knowledge  of  harmony.  The  singers  of  that  day  were 
relatively  much  better  musicians  than  those  of  to-day, 
who,  however,  on  account  of  the  evolution  of  music 
and  the  style  of  the  works  that  they  have  to  interpret, 
should  have  need  of  much  more  than  their  predeces- 
sors had. 

"  The  voice  in  its  natural   state  is  nearly  always 
rude,  uneven,  uncertain,  trembling  even,  and  finally, 
unwieldy  and  limited  in  range.     Study  alone,  enlight- 
ened and  determined  study,  can  fix  the  intonation, 
purify    the    timbre,    and    perfect   the   intensity    and 
elasticity  of  tone.      By  study,  we  level  the  aspersities 
*  Manuel  Garcia. 
[210] 


THE    STUDY   OP    SINGING 

and  incoherences  of  the  registers,  and,  by  uniting  one 
register  with  another,  we  extend  the  dimensions  of  the 
voice.  Study  enables  us  to  acquire  agility,- — a  quality 
loo  greatly  neglected,  in  general.  We  must  submit  to 
severe  exercises  not  only  the  organs  that  are  rebellious, 
but  also  those  which,  led  away  by  a  dangerous  facility, 
can  not  master  their  own  movements."  This  deserves 
particular  attention,  for  "  this  apparent  flexibility 
is  allied  itself  with  a  lack  of  clearness,  tenuto,  correct- 
ness, assurance  and  breadth ;  that  is  to  say,  with  the 
absence  of  all  the  elements  of  accent  and  style." 

All  this  is  admirably  thought  out  and  expressed ; 
it  is  a  complete  programme  of  the  studies  of  vocaliza- 
tion; there  is  not  a  word  to  be  added  to  it  or  taken 
from  it.  This  is  exactly  the  way  in  which  the  work 
of  vocal  mechanism  must  be  conducted  in  order  that 
it  may  be  brought  to  that  state  of  suppleness  that  will 
allow  it  to  attack  difficulties  of  every  kind,  and  to  lend 
itself  to  the  expression  of  every  emotion. 

We  will  not  become  dull  over  the  question  of  the 
classification  and  nomenclature  of  voices,  upon  which 
all  professors  are  not  absolutely  in  accord,  which,  to 
tell  the  truth,  might  well  be  nothing  but  a  simple  af- 
fair of  words ;  nor  over  the  exact  delimitation  of  the 
registers  in  each  voice,  which  varies  with  individuals, 
and  can  be  determined  with  precision  only  by  a  skilful 
professor  after  a  profound  and  often-renewed  exami- 
nation of  the  organ  of  each  pupil. 

All  these  vocalization  exercises,  as  well  as  those  of 
which  we  are  about  to  speak,  should  never  absorb 
more  than  two  hours  of  the  day,  divided  into  halves 
[211] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

or  quarters  of  an  hour,  which  may  be  further  sub- 
divided with  periods  of  rest,  if  fatigue  makes  its 
appearance. 

When  the  pupil  has  succeeded  in  getting  his  voice 
into  such  complete  subjection  as  to  be  able  to  overcome 
with  ease  the  majority  of  the  material  difficulties  of 
execution,  another  period  opens  in  which  it  is  a  ques- 
tion of  forming  a  style  for  himself,  or  to  speak  more 
correctly,  of  studying  the  different  styles. 

Kastncr  excellently  says :  "  To  sing  is  not  only 
to  produce  with  the  voice  different  intonations  at  ran- 
dom, or  in  conformity  with  the  instinct  that  we  have 
for  that  object,  it  is  also  to  make  audible,  according 
to  the  rules  of  the  art,  varied  sounds  intended  to  ex- 
press the  passions  and  sentiments  of  the  heart." 

This,  in  fact,  is  the  veritable  aim,  and  the  long  and 
complicated  study  of  vocalization  has  no  other  use 
than  to  prepare  the  organ  for  the  expression  of  the 
idea,  in  order  to  Jbe  able  to  employ  it,  through  its  en- 
tire range  and  with  the  plenitude  of  its  powers,  as 
freely  and  easily  as  we  make  use  of  the  speaking  voice. 

In  thi?  new  study  of  a  higher  order,  the  superiority 
of  the  Italian  school  totally  disappears,  and  our  ef- 
forts must  be  concentrated  especially  upon  what  is 
good  diction  in  the  language  in  which  we  are  sing- 
ing. Clearness  of  articulation  and  pronunciation  is 
of  the  greatest  importance  in  singing.  If  the  voice 
did  not  have  that  superiority  over  the  instruments  of 
uniting  words  to  music,  it  would  be  surpassed  by  a 
great  number  of  them,  in  compass,  or  agility,  or  even 
in  richness  of  timbre.  What  renders  it  incomparable 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

and  places  it  above  the  admirable  sound-mechanism 
invented  by  the  ingenuity  of  the  lute-makers  is  pre- 
cisely that  inimitable  faculty  of  explaining  and  de- 
termining with  words  the  sentiment  it  expresses, 
and  expresses  with  an  intensity  which  can  not  be  at- 
tained by  the  spoken  language  alone.  It  places  the 
title  beneath  the  drawing. 

Now,  if  the  listener  does  not  clearly  catch  the 
words,  a  great  part  of  the  interest  is  lost  for  him,  and 
the  voice  is  nothing  more  than  an  instrument  like  the 
others.  "  A  singer  who  is  not  understood  subjects  his 
audience  to  annoyance,  and  destroys  a  great  part  of 
its  musical  pleasure  by  forcing  it  to  perpetual  efforts 
to  catch  the  meaning  of  the  words."  * 

It  is  important  then  to  resume  the  study  of  the 
vowels,  already  sketched  out  in  the  course  of  the  work 
of  vocalization,  but  now  from  the  linguistic  and  de- 
clamatory point  of  view,  and  to  add  to  it  that  of  the 
consonants,  which  will  acquire  very  great  importance 
in  the  intense  expression  of  violent  or  pathetic  emo- 
tion. A  few  lessons  in  good  diction,  that  may  be 
taken  with  a  good  comedian  or  tragedian,  would  not 
be  at  all  out  of  place,  and  would  help  one  to  grasp  the 
"  infinite  shades  "  f  that  may  tinge  the  accentuation 
of  every  vowel  as  it  traverses  the  larynx,  shades  by 
means  of  which  the  true  singer  knows  how  to  ex- 
press in  turn  tenderness,  fatuity,  violence,  indigna- 
tion, indifference,  love,  hatred,  anger,  hypocrisy, 
frankness,  kindness,  joy,  irony,  faith,  magnanimity, 

*  Burja,  Memoires  de  V A  cademie  des  Sciences  de  Berlin. 

f  Ch.  de  Brasses,  Trait 4  de  la  formation  mtcanique  des  langues. 

[213] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

pardon,  candour,  courage,  triumph,  meditation,  grief, 
• — in  fact  the  entire  gamut  of  human  passions.  The 
function  of  the  consonants  is  rather  to  increase  the 
force  of  the  sentiment ;  the  more  energetically  they  are 
pronounced,  the  more  impression  the  words  produce 
upon  the  hearer.  "  The  consonant  expresses  the  force 
of  the  sentiment  as  the  vowel  expresses  its  nature." 

Those  whose  syllabic  articulation  is  lacking  in  firm- 
ness may  try  an  excellent  means  indicated  by  Faure, 
which  consists  in  practicing  singing,  or  simply  read- 
ing in  a  loud  voice,  keeping  the  teeth  clenched  and 
nevertheless  forcing  oneself  to  pronounce  clearly  and 
make  every  syllable  distinctly  heard.  "  The  obstacle 
that  we  meet  with  in  doing  this  forces  the  muscles  of 
the  lips  and  tongue  to  efforts  that  develop  their  vigour 
and  agility." 

Both  professor  and  pupil  in  fact  should  set  them- 
selves to  combat  and  to  vanquish,  or  at  least  to  at- 
tenuate, all  the  vices  of  pronunciation  or  emission,  at 
the  head  of  which  we  must  place  the  tremolo,  one  of 
the  most  horrible  of  all,  which  can  only  be  excused 
in  singers  made  decrepit  by  age.  Rossini  said  that 
old  singers  ought  to  be  killed.  It  is  to  be  noted  that 
this  frightful  tremolo,  or  perpetual  trembling  of  the 
voice,  which  many  male  and  female  singers  who  are 
still  young,  but  destitute  of  artistic  common  sense, 
seem  to  take  pleasure  in  cultivating  as  a  means  of  ex- 
pression^), is  found  hardly  anywhere  except  in 
France,  and  a  little  in  Italy,  where  however  it  was  se- 
verely proscribed  at  the  great  epoch;  that  we  find 
hardly  any  examples  among  the  English  singers ;  and 
[214] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

that  there  is  not  the  slightest  trace  of  it  among  the 
Germans,  who  manage  to  express  emotion  in  a  more 
musical  manner.  Next  comes  the  grassayement  *  a 
fault  frequent  in  southerners,  who  are  easily  taught 
to  get  rid  of  it  by  a  few  exercises  of  the  tongue  fa- 
miliar to  everybody.  There  are  also  the  pronuncia- 
tion of  Z  instead  of  J  or  Ch ;  the  stutter,  as  well  as 
that  disagreeable  sonority  that  is  wrongly  called  sing- 
ing through  the  nose,  or  talking  through  the  nose:  I 
say  wrongly,  because  in  truth  the  voice,  in  order  to 
be  pure  and  beautiful  in  quality,  should  escape  in  part 
through  the  nostrils,  and,  on  the  contrary,  it  produces 
the  defective  timbre  that  we  improperly  call  nasal 
when  it  does  not  pass  through  them.  We  can  see  this 
by  pinching  the  nostrils  while  we  sing  or  talk.  We 
ought  therefore  to  say  that  the  fault  lies  in  not  sing- 
ing through  the  nose.  But  this  is  a  digression. 

There  still  remain  many  more  things  to  study :  the 
art  of  properly  managing  respiration,  and  distribut- 
ing it  in  accordance  with  the  exigencies  of  the  musical 
discourse ;  that  of  punctuating  and  scanning  a  verse 
well ;  of  shading  and  accenting  the  syllables  from  the 
purely  grammatical  point  of  view  quite  as  much  as  by 
reason  of  the  degree  of  expressive  importance  they 
bear; — all  this,  and  even  this  is  not  all,  is  what  one 
has  to  learn  from  a  professor  of  high  style,  diction  and 
lyrical  declamation,  that  is  to  say,  from  really  a  great 
artist. 

But,  in  order  to  teach  these  things,  this  great  artist 
has  no  absolute  need  to  be  himself  a  singer.  Every 
*  A  thick  pronunciation  of  the  R. 

[215] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

man  of  taste,  who  possesses  a  pure  and  elevated 
aesthetic  sense,  can  give  most  profitable  advice  to  a 
singer,  who  thenceforward  is  in  full  possession  of  his 
vocal  powers,  whose  organ  is  in  complete  subjection, 
and  who,  knowing  all  the  processes  in  detail,  will 
know  how  to  apply  them  for  himself  so  as  to  obtain 
the  effects  that  are  demanded  of  him.  Having  reached 
this  point,  the  singer  can  again  find  an  excellent  mas- 
ter in  a  composer  who  will  make  him  study  his  works, 
and  will  be  more  favourably  situated  than  anybody 
else  to  make  him  understand  their  correct  interpreta- 
tion and  the  benefit  that  is  to  be  derived  from  them. 
To  work  thus  successively  under  various  composers  of 
merit  is  perhaps  even  the  best  exercise  for  mastering 
style  during  this  final  period  of  attaining  perfection, 
the  one  that  opens  the  vastest  horizon,  and  that  best 
enables  us  to  seize  the  function  of  the  singer  in  art. 

An  erudite  instrumentalist,  well  instructed  in  music 
and  literature,  eclectic,  having  read  and  studied  a 
great  deal,  an  experienced  orchestral  leader,  and  a 
cathedral  organist,  can  also  .fill  this  same  office  and 
serve  as  precious  guides,  whereas  they  would  have  been 
only  mediocre  teachers,  or  at  least  very  inefficient  ones, 
when  it  was  a  question  of  placing  and  developing  the 
voice. 

Since  we  have  just  spoken  of  cathedral  organists 
(kapellmeister)  let  us  take  advantage  of  it  by  say- 
ing that  an  excellent  thing,  so  far  as  concerns  the 
higher  study  of  the  art  of  singing,  is  to  sing  fre- 
quently in  churches  and  temples.  The  sober  style  im- 
posed by  the  dignity  of  the  place  obliges  the  singer 
[216] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

to  employ  only  simple  and  noble  effects,  that  lend  a 
breadth  and  firmness  to  his  art  and  his  individual  man- 
ner in  their  entirety  of  which  something  advantageous 
to  him  will  permanently  remain. 

Let  us  resume.  The  study  of  singing,  leaving  out 
those  preliminary  infantile  studies,  the  undeniable 
advantages  of  which  we  have  demonstrated,  gains 
by  being  undertaken  immediately  the  change  is 
completed  and  the  voice  finds  itself  formed ;  that  is  to 
say,  between  seventeen  and  eighteen  years  of  age  in 
women,  and  eighteen  and  twenty  in  men.  Earlier 
would  be  dangerous,  as  the  lack  of  stability  of  the 
vocal  cords  would  expose  them  to  being  forced  or 
strained,  especially  in  the  low  register,  and  this  in 
turn  would  cause  the  loss  of  the  high  tones  and  the 
whole  head-register  for  the  women. 

But  we  may  begin  later  in  life  if  the  voice  has  not 
been  foundered  by  abuse,  and  if  it  has  preserved 
its  suppleness.  From  thirty  to  thirty-five  years  for 
men,  and  from  twenty-six  to  thirty  for  women  may 
be  considered  the  extreme  limits. 

A  beginning  must  always  be  made  with  solfeggio; 
and,  just  as  soon  as  one  is  somewhat  of  a  musician,  the 
voice  must  be  disciplined  by  the  study  of  vocalization. 
Concurrently,  the  use  of  the  piano  must  be  acquired. 

Singing,  properly  so-called,  with  the  adjunction  of 
words,  must  not  come  till  later. 

The  period  of  study  every  day  should  always  be 
very  short.  Three  or  four  half-hours,  wisely  scat- 
tered through  the  day,  and  kept  far  enough  apart 
15  [217] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

from  one  another  to  avoid  all  fatigue,  are  the  best 
arrangement  that  can  be  made.  To  work  more  than 
this  would  be  foolish.  If  with  this  small  amount  of 
work  no  progress  is  made,  nothing  will  be  gained  by 
increasing  it ;  the  fault  must  be  sought  elsewhere ;  and 
if  it  does  not  consist  in  some  defect  of  conformation  or 
organization,  organic  deficiency  or  lack  of  musical 
aptitude,  we  can  only  attribute  it  to  a  bad  method  of 
work,  or  a  bad  choice  of  exercises. 

III.  READING,  IMPORTANCE  OF  MUSICAL  STUDIES, 
STUDIES  NECESSARY  FOR  THE  STAGE  AND  PHYS- 
ICAL REQUIREMENTS  FOR  AN  OPERA  SINGER 

Let  us  add  that  it  is  quite  permissible  to  lighten  and 
vary  the  solfeggio  studies  by  the  sight-reading  of 
melodies  with  words,  at  first  selecting  very  simple  ones, 
such  as  popular  songs.  In  practicing  this  exercise  of 
sight-reading,  so  precious  for  the  singer,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  proceed  as  we  have  already  said  for  the  in- 
strumentalist;  first  run  your  eyes  over  the  whole  of 
the  words,  so  as  to  get  some  idea  of  their  character 
and  sentiment,  look  over  the  melodic  contour  in  the 
same  way,  so  as  not  to  be  surprised  by  the  modula- 
tions, changes  of  time,  or  any  difficulties  whatsoever; 
then,  having  once  started,  go  right  ahead,  keep- 
ing good  time,  without  trying  to  correct  any  errors 
committed,  and  taking  care  of  the  shading  just  as 
though  it  was  a  question  of  a  piece  already  learnt. 
When  the  singer  is  a  harmonist  as  well,  a  case  of  ex- 
treme rarity,  alas !  he  reads  the  lines  of  the  accompani- 
[218] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

ment,  especially  the  bass,  at  the  same  time  as  the  voice 
line,  and,  by  this  means,  his  task  becomes  incom- 
parably easier.  But,  by  an  aberration  that  does  no 
honour  to  his  artistic  intelligence,  the  singing-pupil 
in  France  scarcely  ever  understands  what  a  great  ad- 
vantage it  would  be  to  him  to  be  an  excellent,  trained 
musician.  He  even  seems  to  glory  in  his  ignorance 
and  to  delight  in  it.  For  him,  music  and  singing  arc 
two  absolutely  distinct  things.  Singing  appears  to 
him  as  a  noble  art  beside  which  music  is  nothing  but  a 
sort  of  inferior  and  contemptible  art. 

I  know  not  where  such  outlandish  ideas  can  have 
arisen,  but  it  is  certain  that  they  are  very  deeply 
seated,  and  that  they  shackle  the  studies  of  young 
singers  to  a  ridiculous  extent.  How  often  we  hear  at 
the  Conservatoire,  before  the  full  board  of  examiners, 
absurd  reasonings  of  this  nature :  "  I  did  not  come 
here  to  learn  music,  I  came  to  learn  singing."  *  What 
would  singers  think  of  a  comedian  who  was  stubborn 
enough  not  to  want  to  learn  how  to  read,  and  by  that 
very  course  prevented  his  own  access  to  all  literary 
study?  That  would  scarcely  be  any  more  stupid. 
But  that  does  not  happen.  This  is  a  trait  of  careless- 
ness and  laziness  peculiar  to  the  singer,  who  thinks 
himself  the  king  of  all  Creation  as  soon  as  he  possesses 
a  very  strong  and  roaring  voice. 

Let  us  regretfully  say  however  that  this  organic 

fatuity  dees  not  exist  in  Germany,  where  singers,  who 

are  infinitely  better  advised,  are  not  ashamed  to  study 

music ;  that  it  is  scarcely  to  be  found  in  Italy,  Eng- 

*  A.  Lavignac,  Les  Gaietfa  du  Conservatoire. 

[219] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

land,  Holland,  or  Belgium;  and  that  it  is  especially 
prevalent  in  France; — of  which  fact  we  have  no  rea- 
son to  feel  proud. 

For  a  long  time,  I  was  in  close  relations  with  a 
charming  tenor  who  was  the  possessor  of  a  voice  of 
very  high  range  and  strong  timbre.  This,  added  to 
the  way  of  writing  the  tenor  in  the  G  clef  (that  is  to 
say,  an  octave  higher  than  the  real  sound  pro- 
nounced), had  given  him  the  conviction  that  in  a  duet 
with  a  soprano,  he  was  the  one  who  always  had  the 
highest  note.  He  made  it  a  matter  of  amour-propre, 
and  was  astonished  that  in  the  scores  the  soprano  line 
was  always  placed  above  the  tenor.  Nobody  dared  to 
contradict  him,  some  for  the  sake  of  not  causing  him 
chagrin  and  others  for  fear  of  putting  him  in  a  rage, 
for  he  was  exceedingly  irascible.  One  day,  however, 
relying  on  our  ancient  friendship,  I  risked  an  attempt 
to  show  him  his  error.  He  burst  into  a  violent  rage, 
pretended  that  I  was  jesting  and  wanted  to  make  sport 
of  him,  and  that  he  did  not  need  to  take  lessons  from 
anybody.  .  .  .  And  we  remained  embroiled  un- 
til his  death. 

Our  singing-students  are  not  willing  to  recognize 
that  this  ignorant  vanity  places  them  in  a  condition  of 
real  inferiority  with  regard  to  their  foreign  brethren, 
and  that  it  condemns  them,  in  addition,  to  remain  per- 
petually under  the  tutelage  of  someone, — an  accom- 
panist, a  tutor,  or  a  singing-master  of  their  theatre, 
and  all  because,  incapable  as  they  are  of  reading  for 
themselves  and  understanding  their  parts,  they  must 
always  bejyiped  to  like  scholars. 
[  220 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

It  is  not  till  later,  in  the  course  of  their  career,  that 
they  perceive  the  trouble  caused  by  this  lack  of  pri- 
mary instruction  in  musical  matters,  and  then,  labo- 
riously, clandestinely  also,  they  again  take  up,  and 
without  boasting  about  it  to  anyone,  the  study  that 
their  simple  braggadocio  had  led  them  to  disdain  at 
the  favourable  moment.  There  is  not  a  single  person 
who  can  contradict  me. 

This  retrospective,  and,  for  that  reason,  more  dif- 
ficult, work  will  be  escaped  by  every  young  singer 
who  is  willing  to  convince  himself  from  the  very  be 
ginning  of  his  vocal  studies,  that  are  to  take  so  little 
trouble,  since  they  ought  never  to  exceed  two  hours  a 
day,  that  it  is  as  necessary  for  him  as  for  every  other 
musician  seriously  to  study  the  fundamental  principles 
of  the  art  of  which  he  wants  to  make  himself  the  in- 
terpreter ;  he  has  all  the  time  for  it.  . 

Musical  art  is  thus  constituted:  it  comprises  pro- 
ducers, who  are  the  composers ;  and  interpreters,  who 
are  the  singers  and  instrumentalists. 

In  this,  it  resembles  dramatic  art,  wherefore  Lamen- 
nais  has  said :  "  The  actor  is  to  the  dramatic  poet 
what  the  executant  is  to  the  composer."  These  two 
functions,  without  which  the  work  of  art  could  not 
exist  and  receive  life,  are  indispensable  and  comple- 
ment each  other,  and  each  has  its  own  beauty.  Just 
as  the  composer  could  not  do  without  the  interpreter, 
to  the  singer  and  the  instrumentalist  would  have  no 
plausibility  if  the  author  were  not  there  to  furnish 
them  with  matter  for  interpretation.  But  in  order 
^b*t  these  two  agents  may  comprehend  each  other  and 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

combine  their  mutual  efforts,  it  is  exceedingly  neces- 
sary for  a  bond  to  exist  between  them,  and  this  bond 
can  be  no  other  than  general  technique,  that  which 
unites  all  the  branches  of  music  and  binds  together 
all  its  constituents. 

This  is  the  reason  that  singers  have  certainly  noth- 
ing to  fear  in  pushing  their  musical  instruction  as  far 
as  possible.  By  doing  so,  they  will  only  understand 
the  better  the  real  importance  of  their  functions,  and 
will  know  how  to  fulfil  them  intelligently,  without  be- 
ing constantly  compelled  to  have  recourse  to  the  help 
and  knowledge  of  others. 

If,  while  still  young,  they  could  succeed  in  convinc- 
ing themselves  of  this  truth,  that  by  the  study  of  gen- 
eral technique  (solfeggio,  theory,  and  harmony),  re- 
inforced by  that  of  the  piano,  they  would  conquer 
their  independence  and  their  artistic  liberty,  they 
would  attain  very  much  higher  and  quicker  results, 
and  notably  a  more  complete  development  of  their  own 
personality. 

Too  often,  the  young  artists  produced  by  the  same 
school  seem  to  have  been  turned  out  of  the  same  mould, 
they  have  the  same  emission  of  tone,  the  same  style, 
the  same  qualities  and  the  same  faults.  This  is  be- 
cause they  have  had  the  same  masters,  the  same  tutors, 
the  same  accompanists,  and  that  in  their  impotence 
(which  they  are  forced  to  recognize  in  petto)  to  di- 
rect of  themselves  any  of  their  education  as  singers  by 
endowing  it  with  a  personal  originality,  they  have 
come  to  suffer  the  influence  of  the  school  in  too  con- 
stant and  too  exclusive  a  manner.  With  more  learn- 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

ing,  they  might  have  been  more  themselves,  and  on 
that  account  infinitely  more  interesting. 

In  addition  to  their  vocal  and  musical  studies,  those 
artists  who  are  destined  for  the  theatre  should  give  at- 
tention to  those  that  are  special  to  scenic  art ;  de- 
portment, attitudes,  theatrical  presence  and  mimicry  ; 
a  Roman  emperor  should  not  have  the  ways  of  a  valet ; 
—a  little  tragedy  in  view  of  the  opera,  or  the  lyrical 
drama, — a  little  comedy  for  the  opera-comique,  or 
other  light  composition  kinds — and  then  another  mat- 
ter of  considerable  importance  is  the  study  of  the 
repertory. 

This  new  collection  of  studies  requires  the  inter- 
vention of  two  new  teachers:  the  first,  who  will  teach 
everything  concerning  deportment  and  gesture, 
above  all  else  should  be  a  man  or  woman  of  the  stage, 
and  himself  possess  the  habits  of  the  boards.  It  is 
not  requisite  for  him  to  be  a  musician ;  a  good 
comedian  will  serve  very  well  if  he  cares  to  take  the 
trouble  to  consider  the  somewhat  special  exigencies 
occasioned  by  words  sung  and  the  relative  slowness 
of  action  put  into  music.  If  the  attitudes  are  stiff  or 
awkward,  if  the  movements  are  lacking  in  suppleness 
or  elegance,  the  best  thing  to  do  will  be  to  join  a  danc- 
ing-class (there  are  many  classes  for  dancing  and  de- 
portment), and  for  men  to  frequent  the  fencing- 
school.  There  is  nothing  like  it  for  acquiring  swagger 
and  ease,  and  for  learning  how  to  stand  and  move 
about  naturally  and  without  pretension ;  but  this  must 
not  displace  the  teacher  of  stage-deportment  in  any- 
[223] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

thing  relating  to  mimetics,  bearing  and  the  art  of 
wearing  costume. 

As  for  the  study  of  the  repertory,  we  would  gladly 
range  ourselves  on  the  side  of  those  who  think  that 
there  is  an  advantage  in  working  with  a  professor,  not 
only  of  our  own  sex,  but  with  one  whose  voice  re- 
sembles our  own  as  closely  as  possible  and  who  has 
held  on  the  stage  a  position  similar  to  the  one  we  de- 
sire, and  has  even  had  the  opportunity  of  playing  the 
parts,  the  traditions  of  which  we  ask  him  to  transmit 
to  us.  These  conditions  can  be  nothing  but  favour- 
able ;  but  they  are  far  from  being  indispensable,  and 
it  is  certain  that  every  artist  who  has  any  experience 
of  the  stage,  whether  he  be  a  singer,  a  leader  of  the 
orchestra,  tutor,  or  accompanist,  may  perfectly  con- 
duct and  bring  to  a  happy  conclusion  this  study  that 
is  as  useful  as  it  is  interesting. 

In  order  to  be  able  to  say  that  we  know  a  role,  it  is 
not  sufficient  to  have  learned  the  important  airs  and 
the  principal  points;  it  is  necessary  to  have  acquired 
a  complete  knowledge  and  comprehension  of  the  char- 
acter, to  know  it  entirely  by  heart  from  beginning  to 
end,  including  words,  music,  gestures  and  attitudes, 
and  to  be  ready  to  play  it  and  sing  it  fully  staged 
after  a  few  full  rehearsals.  Otherwise  our  work  is  in- 
complete and  inefficient,  and  will  have  to  be  done  all 
over  again  some  day. 

It  is  in  the  course  of  the  study  of  the  repertory  that 
the  young  lyric  artist  begins  to  perceive  the  extent  of 
the  fatigue  that  the  career  entails,  and  understands 
why  his  early  teachers,  on  making  their  first  examina- 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

tion,  had  to  take  into  consideration,  in  addition  to  his 
purely  vocal  qualities,  his  conformation,  his  general 
health,  and  in  fact  everything  that  might  serve  to 
foretell  the  force  of  resistance  necessary  for  the  ex- 
ploitation of  his  organ. 

What  is  fatiguing  is  not  learning  to  sing,  as  we 
have  seen;  it  is  not  singing;  it  is  the  singing  of  an 
entire  work  in  the  course  of  one  evening,  with  short 
entr'actes  that  scarcely  constitute  rests,  since  most  of 
the  time  is  employed  in  changing  the  costume ;  it  is 
having  to  begin  again  the  next  day  with  the  same 
work,  or  another  one ;  it  is  having  to  dominate  the  or- 
chestra, especially  the  modern  orche.stra;  it  is  having 
to  rehearse  early  in  the  morning ;  it  is  having  con- 
stantly to  learn  and  to  assimilate  new  roles;  it  is  hav- 
ing to  travel  as  they  do  in  artistic  tours,  when  for 
most  of  the  time  they  travel  during  the  night,  to  re- 
hearse at  daybreak  and  play  in  the  evening ;  it  is 
singing  in  concerts,  which  necessitates  fresh  re- 
hearsals; it  is  the  obligation  of  singing  at  soirees,  of 
being  ever  in  the  breach,  or  quite  ready  to  mount 
guard  there;  it  is  passing  through  the  most  diverse 
emotions ;  it  is  being  the  slave  of  one's  engagement,  of 
not  having  the  power  to  do  what  one  likes  with  the 
day  and  the  hour,  of  being  unable  to  rest  and  to  relax 
without  the  aid  of  a  medical  certificate ;  it  is  having 
to  play  a  playful  part  when  one's  spirit  is  in  mourn- 
ing; it  is  being  forced  to  sing  whether  one  wants  to 
or  not,  whether  one  is  well  or  ill ;  finally,  it  is  the  career 
that  everybody  recognizes  as  one  of  the  hardest  and 
most  burdensome  as  well  as  brilliant  and  full  of  ex- 
[225] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

ternal  attractions.  We  need  to  be  built  of  sand  and 
lime  to  support  its  fatigue,  particularly  during  the 
first  few  years,  for  we  become  inured  to  anything,  this 
as  well  as  anything  else.  Therefore  we  can  not  help 
smiling  at  the  aberration  of  certain  amateur  singers, 
men  and  women  of  the  fashionable  world,  who,  how- 
ever, are  not  devoid  of  talent,  who  naively  class  them- 
selves with  professional  artists,  and  because  one 
evening  they  may  have  sung,  at  a  charity  concert,  a 
scene  or  an  act  from  an  opera,  after  much  coddling 
and  preparation,  accept  comparisons  to  their  ad- 
vantage. "  Oh !  indeed,  Viscountess,  you  were  won- 
derful; the  opera  never  gave  us  a  Marguerita  that 
came  up  to  your  ankle !  "  or,  "  Mr.  -  — ,  with  as- 
tounding fire,  leaves  far  behind  him  all  the  artists  who 
have  ventured  to  attempt  the  part  of  -  — ,  reputed 
so  overwhelming."  It  would  be  interesting  to  see 
what  would  become  of  Mr.  -  -  if  he  had  to  play 
and  act  this  part  so  overwhelming,  in  its  integrity,  on 
the  stage,  with  the  orchestra  and  an  ordinary  audi- 
ence ;  and  what  the  Viscountess  would  say  if  anyone 
were  to  propose  that  she  should  repeat  this  little  ex- 
ercise four  or  five  times  a  week,  at  the  same  time  add- 
ing the  four  other  acts,  or  by  playing  a  different  work 
every  evening. 

And  how  disillusioned  would  be  those  pretentious 
dilettanti  of  the  art  of  singing  if  it  were  given  to  them 
to  hear  themselves  turned  into  ridicule  quite  as  much 
by  the  people  of  their  own  world,  whom  they  regard 
as  their  passionate  admirers,  as  by  real  artists.  And  if 
they  only  knew  how  odious  they  arc  to  the  composers 
[  226  ] " 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

whom  they  weary  to  death  by  beseeching  them  to  ac- 
company them  in  public  for  the  sake  of  thereby  gain- 
ing an  enthusiastic  autograph  letter,  or  a  few  words 
of  vain  flattery,  who,  sometimes  out  of  simple  polite- 
ness, sometimes  from  a  sentiment  of  ironical  courtesy, 
discharge  at  them  a  few  compliments  ...  of 
double  meaning :  "  Dear  Madame,  I  never  heard  any- 
body sing  that  as  you  do  ...  I  have  never  heard 
anything  like  it.  .  .  ." 

I  do  not  say  this  in  the  least  to  asperse  amateur  tal- 
ent, or  to  try  to  belittle  its  merit  in  the  slightest,  for, 
on  the  contrary,  I  am  of  opinion  that  there  are  ama- 
teurs of  most  remarkable  talent,  and  that  there  may 
very  easily  exist  some  who  equal  or  even  surpass  pro- 
fessional artists  either  in  virtuosity  or  in  elevation  of 
style. 

There  are  artists  and  amateurs  of  every  rank,  and 
the  qualification  "  artist  "  does  not  imply  any  idea  of 
superiority  any  more  than  that  of  "  amateur  "  neces- 
sarily implies  the  idea  of  superficial  or  negligent  stud- 
ies. Unfortunately  there  are  artists  who  dishonour 
this  title,  just  as  there  are  amateurs  of  high  intelli- 
gence who  possess  the  genius  of  interpretation  and 
the  most  elevated  sentiment.  These  great  amateurs 
ought  to  be  admired,  applauded  and  encouraged,  for 
they  powerfully  contribute  to  raise  the  artistic  level; 
but  care  must  be  taken  not  to  establish  a  parallel 
between  them  and  the  militant  artists  whose  whole 
life  is  consecrated  to  the  worship  of  the  art,  who 
feel  their  responsibility  pledged,  and  have  to  con- 
quer or  to  maintain  by  their  own  worth  the  favour 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

of  a  public,  the  great  majority  of  whom  arc  indif- 
ferent. 

The  amateur  plays  on  velvet,  for  he  never  presents 
himself  to  his  audience  under  the  same  conditions  as 
the  professional  artist,  though  he  is  pleased  to  delude 
himself  with  that  idea.  Of  the  occupation,  he  knows 
nothing  but  the  roses,  and  does  not  even  suspect  the 
endurance,  the  strength  of  will  and  sometimes  of  cour- 
age required  by  the  stage  career  for  him  who  with  each 
note,  step  and  gesture  defends  his  life  and  reputation. 
It  is  not  a  question  here  for  him  of  a  vain  matter  of 
fashionable  and  ephemeral  potty  glory ;  one  single 
failure,  especially  near  the  start,  may  compromise  the 
whole  future.  And  to  what  may  a  failure  be  due? 
To  a  moment  of  inadvertence,  or  distraction,  an  indis- 
position, a  tired  voice  resulting  from  too  many  re- 
hearsals,-— to  a  thousand  causes  that  do  not  detract 
from  the  worth  of  the  artist  in  the  slightest  degree. 

I  have  not  to  speak  here  of  the  numberless  mortifica- 
tions that  impede  the  triumphal  career  of  a  singer :  the 
jealousies,  the  cabals  formed  to  effect  the  downfall  of 
a  manager,  but  which  hit  the  actor  first,  the  rivalries 
which,  noble  as  they  should  be,  become  base  and  ma- 
lignant;— all  this  would  carry  me  far  beyond  the  ar- 
tistic domain ;  but  it  is  none  the  less  true  that  the 
singer  who  launches  himself  on  the  stage  exposes 
himself  to  all  these  dreadful  things  and  should  be 
warned  beforehand. 

If  to  sustain  him  he  did  not  have  the  love  of  his  art 
and  the  sentiment  of  his  dignity  as  an  artist,  to  which 
we  may  more  prosaically  add  the  bait  of  good  engage- 
[228] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

ments,  his  life,  the  brilliant  side  alone  of  which  is  seen 
by  the  great  public,  would  be  nothing  but  a  hell  dis- 
guised as  Paradise. 

To  these  cares  of  all  kinds,  must  be  added  the  con- 
stant preoccupation  of  the"  maintenance  of  his  voice, 
which  is  not  a  simple  object  of  luxury  for  him,  far 
from  it. 

When  we  see  the  almost  maternal  care  which  the  vio- 
linist and  'cellist  lavish  on  their  instruments,  the  mi- 
nute toilette  that  they  perform  even  in  the  tiny  cor- 
ners, lovingly  polishing  it,  carefully  swaddling  and 
muffling  its  neck  and  strings  with  a  soft  woollen  mate- 
rial when  they  take  it  out  into  the  world ;  and  when  we 
see  the  players  of  an  oboe,  or  clarinet,  keeping  all 
the  parts  of  their  outfit  in  a  condition  of  scrupulous 
cleanliness  and  surrounding  their  reeds  with  all  kinds 
of  precaution  and  solicitude,  we  ask  ourselves  wheth- 
er it  is  not  worth  while  giving  far  greater  care  to  the 
divine  and  living  instrument,  more  perfect,  but  also 
more  susceptible  than  any,  the  only  one  that  can 
never  be  replaced  by  any  tradesman,  should  we  ever 
have  the  misfortune  to  let  it  get  spoiled. 

Every  singer  understands  the  utility  of  these  cares 
which  the  ignorant  public  often  wrongly  regards  as 
an  exaggeration,  or  a  Sybaritic  practice;  but  not  all 
know  how  to  apply  them  judiciously,  and  sin  some- 
times by  excess  of  precaution  and  sometimes  by  im- 
prudence. To  coddle  oneself  too  much  is  in  its  way  a 
mistake,  for  by  that  means  one  renders  the  organism 
still  more  sensitive  to  inclement  weather,  and  the 
[229] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

slightest  variations  of  temperature  which  nobody  can 
completely  guard  against,  and  which  then  become  so 
much  the  more  dangerous.  To  brave  cold,  Avind  and 
humidity  must  be  bad  for  any  voice  unless  it  is  of  an 
excessively  rare  robustness  and  rusticity,  and  even 
that  often  ends  by  playing  the  owner  an  ugly  trick. 

Everybody  must  learn  to  study  his  own  organ,  to 
take  account  of  the  degree  of  resistance  or  suscepti- 
bility that  it  offers  to  the  perturbative  action  of  ex- 
ternal agents,  and  thus  knowing  the  cause,  adopt  the 
preservative  hygienic  measures  that  are  personally 
favourable  to  himself,  without  troubling  to  learn 
whether  they  would  suit  his  neighbour,  or  recommend- 
ing them  to  him  in  turn,  for  there  do  not  exist  two 
voices  identically  alike,  nor  two  that  should  be  treated 
exactly  in  the  same  way ;  which  is  what  we  must  allow 
thoroughly  to  penetrate  our  minds.  Let  us  add  that 
the  imagination  often  comes  into  play.  It  does  not 
therefore  follow  that  because  an  able  singer  comes  to 
you  and  says:  "  This  is  what  I  do,"  you  should  think 
you  were  doing  well  by  doing  the  same  and  taking 
him  as  a  model.  What  is  excellent  for  one  may  be 
ill  suited  to  another,  and  rice  versa;  everybody  should 
employ  for  this  effect  the  means  specially  appropriate 
to  his  own  nature,  and  only  those.  Hence  arises  the 
necessity  for  the  singer  to  know  himself,  as  the  instru- 
mentalist knows  his  instrument,  since  he  is  his  own  in- 
strument, or  more  correctly  speaking,  he  carries  his 
instrument  in  himself. 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 


IV.  HYGIENE  OF  THE  VOICE 

This  chapter  on  singing  would  therefore  not  be 
complete  if  we  neglected  to  speak  a  little  about  vocal 
hygiene. 

First,  we  will  borrow  from  a  special  work  some  lines, 
the  first  of  which  corroborate  certain  ideas  expressed 
at  the  opening  of  this  study  :*  "  The  education  of  the 
voice  should  not  be  abbreviated.  Prolonged  studies 
assure  a  long  career,  and  if  we  see  an  early  end  to 
voices  which  seemed  to  have  the  promise  of  a  long 
future,  it  is  often  because  the  period  of  preparatory 
study  has  been  shortened,  in  the  haste  to  utilize  an 
organ  full  of  promise  as  soon  as  possible.  It  is  because 
it  has  not  been  sufficiently  trained.  Let  us  recall  the 
good  examples:  Caffarelli,  a  pupil  of  Porpora,  and 
Rubini,  working  six  or  seven  years  before  appearing 
in  public."  Many  other  names  might  be  cited ;  in  fact, 
almost  all  the  great  artists  who  have  had  a  long  career, 
and  among  our  contemporaries,  Mme.  Miolan  Car- 
valho,  Mme.  Viardot,  Mme.  Malibran,  Duprez,  Faure, 
etc.  "  The  voice  should  be  trained  from  infancy, 
long  before  the  change.  It  does  not  differ  in  that  from 
other  gymnastics.  An  artist  who  goes  late  into  the 
career  may  sometimes  grace  it  well,  but  almost  always 
for  a  short  period.  Let  a  child  give  free  play  to  the 
various  notes  of  his  singing  voice,  and  as  soon  as  his 
change  is  completed,  he  will  find  it  to  be  well  exercised 
in  the  new  key-board  that  has  fallen  to  his  lot." 
*  Dr.  A.  Castex,  Hygiene  de  la  voix  parUe  et  chantte. 
[231  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

All  rational  physical  exercises  of  a  nature  to  con- 
serve the  general  health  are  good  for  the  singer  during 
the  period  of  study,  as  also  later,  especially  those  the 
effect  of  which  is  to  develop  the  muscles  of  the  chest: 
horsemanship,  fencing,  dumb-bells,  swimming  (if  the 
reaction  is  good),  and  canoeing  are  very  favourable 
sports,  provided  they  are  used  prudently,  and  there 
is  no  exposure  to  catching  cold.  One  should  abstain 
from  exercise  completely,  however,  when  one  has  to 
sing  either  at  the  theatre  or  at  a  concert ;  on  that 
day,  relative  repose  "is  necessary.  Faure  even  recom- 
mends "  avoiding  long  walks,  or  drives,  in  carriage, 
or  railroad  car,"  on  account  of  the  trepidation,  and 
then  he  proceeds  to  advise  the  singer  to  select  his 
rooms  in  proximity  to  the  theatre. 

The  principal  precautions  to  be  taken,  apart  from 
violent  and  inopportune  exercises,  are:  to  abstain 
totally  from  singing,  either  in  public  or  even  for  exer- 
cise while  a  cold  lasts,  or  a  sore  throat,  or  even  a  simple 
hoarseness,  if  the  larynx  is  susceptible,  and  at  the 
slightest  indisposition  with  women ;  not  to  abuse  and 
founder  the  voice,  either  by  singing  uselessly  or  by 
forcing  it  to  produce  tones  beyond  its  normal  range, 
especially  high  ones;  to  avoid  violent  laughter,  too 
loud  talk  and  long  speeches,  as  also  vociferation  and 
fatiguing  cries  ;  not  to  play  the  piano  just  before  sing- 
ing; so  far  as  concerns  dressing,  never  to  compress 
either  the  neck,  or  the  body,  or  the  feet;  for  an  ali- 
mentary regimen,  a  simple  and  strengthening  menu, 
"  little  or  no  alcohol,  nor  anything  that  is  irritating 
to  the  throat  (mustard,  cayenne  pepper,  etc.).  Butch- 
[232] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

ers'  meat,  red  or  white,  fish,  eggs,  milk  dishes,  mollusks, 
oysters,  mussels  and  snails,  rice,  tapioca,  potatoes, 
fruits  in  general  (except  nuts  and  almonds),  and  un- 
fermented  cheese  should  form  the  basis  of  the  repast; 
many  singers  attribute  a  special  virtue  to  the  raw 
egg ;  it  can  do  no  harm  to  anybody  and  may  be  espe- 
cially good  for  some  throats.  Avoid  singing  during 
digestion,  or  at  least  for  long;  on  the  day  of  perform- 
ance, it  is  prudent  to  dine  at  least  three  hours  before 
the  curtain  rises.  Nearly  all  singers  smoke,  but  almost 
all  physicians  are  of  opinion  that  it  would  be  better 
if  they  did  not;  in  any  case,  what  appears  certain  is 
that  the  bad  habit  that  some  smokers  of  cigarettes 
have  of  inhaling  the  smoke  has  the  effect  of  favouring 
the  production  of  phlegm.  Many  male  and  female 
singers  during  the  entr'actes  or  before  each  entry  on 
the  stage  feel  the  need  of  clearing  the  voice  by  the  ab- 
sorption of  some  liquid  or  other :  so  long  as  it  is  only 
a  question  of  cold  bouillon,  lemonade,  sirups,  coffee, 
even  Bordeaux,  Malaga,  or  beer,  it  will  not  hurt  them, 
but  Champagne  must  be  distrusted,  also  alcoholic 
liqueurs  and  all  that  contains  alcohol,  such  as  grog 
and  punch,  which,  after  producing  an  effect  of  excita- 
tion might  have  a  totally  contrary  effect  by  reaction, 
not  to  speak  of  other  inconveniences  by  which  they  risk 
offending  or  scandalizing  the  audience.  On  return- 
ing into  the  wings,  or  green-room,  one  generally  finds 
oneself  passing  suddenly  from  an  overheated  atmos- 
phere into  one  that  is  sensibly  colder;  moreover,  the 
larynx  and  bronchial  tubes, '  congested  by  the  action,' 
are  in  a  condition  of  extreme  sensitiveness,  and  more 
16  [  233  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

than  ever  susceptible  to  the  influence  of  every  morbid 
cause.  It  is  then  advisable  immediately  to  cover  the 
neck  and  shoulders  (especially  decolletee  women,  of 
course),  to  breathe  exclusively  through  the  nose,  so 
that  the  air  may  be  warmed  by  passing  through  the 
nasal  cavities,  and  consequently  to  avoid  all  conversa- 
tion." * 

The  singer  who  is  careful  over  the  good  working  of 
his  larynx,  without  being  forced  to  live  as  an  ancho- 
rite, ought  systematically  to  forbid  himself  any  de- 
parture from  his  regime  and  all  excesses  of  whatsoever 
nature.  If  he  desires  his  voice  to  obey  him,  he  must 
make  himself  its  slave  and  set  it  a  good  example. 
"  Freshness,  spontaneity  and  strength  are  the  most 
precious  qualities  of  the  voice,  but  they  are  also,  of 
course,  the  most  fragile.  The  voice  that  once  loses 
never  regains  them,  its  timbre  remains  cracked  with- 
out recovery.  We  call  a  voice  broken  when  it  is  reduced 
to  this  exhaustion.  A  similar  prostration  of  powers 
sometimes  manifests  itself  from  the  period  of  study, 
when  we  may  attribute  it  to  the  bad  management  of 
the  pupil's  studies.  The  error  would  be  equally  de- 
plorable whether  the  nature  of  the  organ  had  been 
misunderstood,  or  whether  anyone  had  attempted  by 
obstinate  labour  to  convert  the  voice  from  low  to  high. 
The  inevitable  result  of  the  latter  attempt  would  be 
the  destruction  of  the  voice.  The  studies  should  tend 
to  develop  the  natural  gifts  of  an  organ,  and  not  to 
transform  them  nor  to  stretch  them  be}rond  meas- 
ure." *  Thus  far,  his  advice  deals  with  management 
*  Dr.  A.  Castex,  Hygiene  de  la  voix  parUe  et  chantte. 

[234] 


THE    STUDY    OF    SINGING 

of  study  quite  as  much  as  hygiene  properly  so-called ; 
what  follows  applies  more  particularly  to  the  latter: 
*'  Singers,  who  are  so  strongly  interested  in  the  preser- 
vation of  their  instrument,  the  most  delicate  and 
fragile  of  them  all,  will  understand  the  necessity  of  the 
minute  care  to  be  taken  to  prevent  its  total  loss  or 
even  any  change  in  it.  First  of  all,  they  should 
avoid  excesses  of  any  kind  in  regimen,  habits  and  con- 
duct. There  is  no  excess  that  does  not  immediately 
exercise  a  deleterious  action  on  the  voice."  The 
enumeration  of  excesses  follows.  "  All  these  excesses 
fatigue  the  organ  and  render  it  Coarse  for  the  time 
being;  and  if  often  renewed  cannot  fail  to  de- 
stroy it."  * 

Let  us  add  finally  that  an  excellent  practice  from  a 
hygienic  point  of  view,  as  well  as  a  process  of  study, 
consists  in  effecting  every  morning  before  breakfast 
a  complete  cleansing  of  the  vocal  apparatus  by  means 
of  gargles  and  nasal  douches  with  warm  boratcd 
water,  and  immediately  afterward  practicing  a  few 
vocalization  exercises.  This  is  what  Faure  designates 
by  the  suggestive  term  of  "  toilette  of  the  voice." 

V.  THE   ACCOMPANIMENT 

Every  singer  who  is  anxious  to  bring  into  promi- 
nence the  qualities  of  his  style  should  attach  enormous 
importance  to  the  matter  of  being  accompanied  well, 
either  by  the  piano  or  orchestra.     If  he  is  troubled  in 
the  slightest  degree  by  the  accompaniment,  he  loses 
*  M.  Garcia. 
[235] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

all  his  faculties,  being  hampered  in  his  proceedings. 
He  becomes  stiff  and  awkward,  and  is  no  longer  him- 
self;  it  is  necessary  that  he  should  be  able  to  sing  in 
public  as  he  does  at  home,  without  any  more  constraint. 

No  artist  nor  amateur  should  expose  himself  to  a 
misadventure  of  this  nature. 

If  it  is  a  question  of  singing  with  the  orchestra, 
the  conductor  will  be  the  first  to  require  at  least  one 
rehearsal,  and  thus  all  will  be  well.  But  if  it  is  a 
question  of  singing  either  at  a  concert  or  an  evening 
party,  even  among  friends,  accompanied  by  the  piano, 
two  things  should  always  be  inquired  into.  The  first 
is  whether  the  piano  is  strictly  in  tune,  and  whether  it 
has  been  recently  tuned  in  the  diapason  to  which  the 
singer  is  accustomed  (in  France,  the  normal  dia- 
pason) ;  for  if  the  piano  has  several  false  notes,  it  is 
the  singer  who  will  be  suspected  of  singing  false,  and 
nobody  will  think  of  incriminating  the  instrument; 
and  if  the  piano,  although  true,  is  tuned  in  too  high 
or  top  low  a  diapason,  it  will  no  longer  agree  with  the 
tessitura  of  the  voice,  which  will  find  itself  displaced 
and  will  no  longer  be  able  to  produce  the  studied 
effects  with  precision.  The  second  thing  is  to  make 
sure  of  a  very  good  accompanist.  For  this,  it  is  an 
incontestable  fact  that,  when  the  situation  permits  of 
it,  the  best  thing  is  to  have  a  professional  accompanist, 
always  the  same  one,  whom  you  take  with  you,  who  is 
acquainted  with  all  your  ways,  and  with  whom  you 
feel  entirely  at  ease.  When  this  is  impossible,  it  is 
highly  necessary  to  rehearse  with  the  artist  who  is 
to  be  at  the  piano;  unless,  at  least,  you  know  him 
[236] 


THE    STUDY    OP    SINGING 

from  having  been  accompanied  by  him  before,  you 
must  not  be  satisfied  with  a  simple  sketch,  or  with  a 
few  scattered  indications,  or  the  general  movement, 
a  rallentando  here,  a  pianissimo  there;  that  is  not 
enough,  a  veritable  complete  rehearsal  is  necessary, 
and  it  is  not  complete  until  the  moment  when  the 
singer  feels  tranquil  and  sure  of  being  well  seconded. 
There  are  virtuoso-pianists  who  do  not  know  how  to 
accompany,  either  because  they  have  not  the  instinct, 
or  because  they  are  not  used  to  it;  we  have  attended 
to  them  in  another  part  of  this  book.  It  is  necessary 
to  beware  of  them,  for  they  are  very  annoying,  and 
to  prefer  to  them  an  artist  who  possesses  the  special 
qualities  required,  which  are  docility,  abnegation  of 
personal  effect  and  a  peculiar  characteristic  style. 

The  principal  qualities  that  a  singer  should  seek 
in  an  accompanist  are  the  following:  1. — To  be  a 
very  able  piano-player  and  an  excellent  sight-reader. 
2. — To  know  how  to  efface  himself  and  follow  with 
elasticity  the  shading  and  the  slight  infractions  of  the 
rhythm.  3. — To  have  sufficient  initiative  to  cover  an 
error  on  the  part  of  the  singer  and  guide  him  if  the 
need  arises.  The  last  two  qualities  that  appear  to 
contradict  one  another  are  both  equally  indispensable, 
and  it  is  the  difficulty  of  finding  them  united  in  the 
same  person  that  is  the  cause  of  the  extreme  rarity  of 
perfect  accompanists. 

In  sum,  it  should  be  thoroughly  recognized  that  the 
most  brilliant  singer  loses  all  his  power  if  he  is  awk- 
wardly accompanied ;   and  that,   inversely,  the  most 
mediocre  singer  can  acquire  a  certain  prestige  in  the 
[237] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

hands  of  an  accompanist  who  knows  how  to  manage 
him  and  to  bring  out  his  few  good  qualities. 

Every  experienced  artist  knows  this,  and  will  not 
allow  himself  to  be  accompanied  by  the  first  comer; 
beginners  are  not  sufficiently  careful  about  this ;  it 
is  nevertheless  quite  as  dangerous  for  them,  for  if  the 
old-stagers  are  very  properly  careful  not  to  appear 
except  under  advantageous  conditions,  in  order  to 
keep  intact  the  reputation  they  have  acquired,  the 
young  ones,  on  their  part,  have  yet  to  establish  theirs, 
and  ought  not  to  neglect  anything  that  may  help  to 
make  them  appreciated ;  and  the  constraint  resulting 
from  the  fact  of  being  ill  supported  and  finding  in- 
sufficient assistance  in  the  accompaniment  may  go  so 
far  as  completely  to  paralyze  their  efforts.  On  many 
occasions,  I  have  personally  witnessed  the  distress  to 
which  they  are  put  by  a  defective  accompaniment,  so 
that  in  affirming  that  an  excellent  accompanist  doubles 
the  powers  of  the  singer,  I  have  only  one  fear,  and 
that  is  of  understating  the  truth. 

In  a  restricted  space,  short  pieces,  melodies  and 
lieder,  as  not  requiring  great  development  of  voice, 
acquire  an  exquisite  charm  and  an  intimate  flavour 
by  being  accompanied  by  the  singer  himself,  if  he  is 
sufficient  of  a  pianist  for  it;  nothing  is  more  delight- 
ful :  absolutely  master  of  his  effects,  since  he  has  no- 
body to  count  with  but  himself,  the  artist  can  give 
himself  free  rein  and  abandon  himself  to  all  the 
caprices  of  his  inspiration,  and  his  interpretation  is 
thus  clothed  with  a  character  of  sincerity,  unity  and 
penetration  that  is  difficult  to  realize  under  other  con- 
ditions. 

[238] 


PART   IV 

THE  VARIOUS  STUDIES  NECESSARY  FOR 
COMPOSERS 


PART   IV 

THE    VARIOUS    STUDIES    NECESSARY    FOR 
COMPOSERS 


I.  THE  CREATIVE  FACULTY  AND  HIGHER  MUSICAL 
STUDIES 

No  study,  however  ably  it  may  be  conducted,  can 
result  in  producing  a  composer  worthy  of  the  name 
out  of  any  individual  who  is  not  natively  endowed 
with  that  entirely  special  instinct  that  leads  one  to 
create  and  invent  combinations  of  sounds,  and  which 
in  various  degrees  is  called  having  ideas,  having  the 
creative  faculty,  and  lastly,  having  the  sacred  fire,  or 
having  genius ;  for  there  is  no  doubt  that  one  may 
have  a  little  genius,  facility,  originality,  gleams  of 
genius,  or  have  a  great  deal  of  genius.  There  are 
little  geniuses  and  great  geniuses,  these  words  are  cur- 
rently employed.  One  may  even  have  genius  without 
suspecting  it,  although  the  contrary  is  much  more  fre- 
quently the  case,  alas  !  With  some  it  is  a  natural  gift, 
as  is  a  faculty  for  figures,  or  magnetic  power  with 
others.  It  even  becomes  a  function :  Saint-Saens  says 
of  himself,  without  for  a  moment  thinking  of  glorify- 
ing himself  or  being  the  least  bit  vain  about  it,,  that  he 
"  produced  music  as  an  apple-tree  produces  apples," 
[241] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

simply  because  he  was  so  constituted.  He  who  is  en- 
dowed with  this  faculty  experiences,  in  fact,  an  irre- 
sistible necessity  of  producing,  of  creating  music,  just 
as  the  professional  assassin  feels  the  need  of  killing 
some  one,  or  the  Newfoundland  dog  that  of  dragging 
a  drowning  man  out  of  the  water. 

This  is  why  so  many  young  composers  reveal  their 
vocation  from  infancy,  as  we  have  already  said,  by  the 
propensity  for  putting  their  ideas  down  on  paper, 
when  as  yet  they  know  none  of  the  theoretic  elements 
except  what  they  have  been  able  to  divine.  New- 
foundland pups  and  future  assassins  must  also  in 
some  manner  give  a  foretaste  of  their  aptitudes. 
Buff  on  has  said :  "  Nature  gives  the  force  of  genius, 
the  cast  of  character  and  the  mould  of  heart;  educa- 
tion only  modifies  the  whole." 

But  though  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  create  such  fac- 
ulties at  will,  yet  to  a  certain  extent  we  can  try  to  de- 
velop the  germ  by  education,  of  course  on  condition 
that  the  germ,  minute  though  it  be,  really  exists,  just 
as  we  can  also  try  to  stifle  it  and  prevent  its  flowering ; 
for,  if  it  is  possible  for  us  to  annihilate  it  and  hinder 
it  from  manifesting  itself,  of  which  there  is  no  doubt, 
it  is  no  less  certain  that  by  setting  inverse  procedure 
in  action  we  ought  to  be  able  to  come  to  its  assistance. 
It  is  perhaps  in  the  examination  of  what  would  be  the 
worst  culture-liquid  for  the  microbe  of  genius  in  its 
native  state  that  we  can  determine  with  certainty  first 
what  must  be  avoided  and  then  what  must  be  sought 
to  favour  its  growth  and  blossoming. 

Among  the  worst  conditions,  we  may  certainly  place 
[242] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

the  living  in  some  forlorn  region  far  from  every  intel- 
lectual centre,  isolation,  or  association  exclusively 
with  common  people  who  are  totally  destitute  of  in- 
struction, the  absence  of  all  affection,  employment  in 
manual  labour  of  a  kind  that  demands  no  intellectual 
effort,  ignorance  of  all  manifestation  of  any  art  what- 
soever, in  a  word,  all  that  constitutes  the  most  brut- 
ish existence.  I  firmly  believe  that  a  young  man  who 
has  been  brought  up  from  his  infancy  till  the  age  of 
twenty-four  under  such  conditions,  which  are  diffi- 
cult but  not  impossible  to  find  in  combination,  will 
never  distress  his  family  by  manifesting  a  strong  de- 
termination to  devote  himself  .to  dramatic  composition. 

Therefore,  it  is  the  counterpoise  of  this  brute  edu- 
cation that  must  be  adopted  in  the  broadest  sense  if  we 
wish  to  furnish  the  divine  creative  faculty  with  every 
chance  to  reveal  and  assert  itself,  and  if  we  wish  to 
provide  this  young  grain  with  a  good  soil  and  the  in- 
tellectual fertilizer  that  it  needs. 

To  arrive  at  this  result,  it  is  necessary  to  bring  to 
the  fore,  parallel  with  the  purely  musical  studies,  lit- 
erary, scientific  and  philological  studies,  and  push 
them  as  far  as  possible;  to  read  a  great  deal,  and  se- 
rious books  rather  than  frivolous  works ;  to  study  the 
great  poets,  those  near  relatives  of  great  musicians ; 
to  know  the  rules  of  versification  and  prosody,  so  as 
to  know  how  to  distribute  the  accents  and  respirations 
in  the  vocal  works ;  to  frequent  the  museums,  to  learn 
to  admire  the  beautiful  under  all  its  forms,  including 
Nature,  which  is  not  to  be  neglected  the  most,  and  to 
this  end,  to  travel,  to  travel  a  great  deal,  as  was  the 
[243] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

advice  of  Montaigne,  who  had  not  music  especially  in 
mind :  "  What  is  wonderfully  good  for  education  is  to 
visit  foreign  countries  for  the  sake  of  rubbing  and  pol- 
ishing our  brains  against  those  of  others."  When 
travelling,  which  is  much  easier  to-day  than  when  he 
recommended  it,  we  must  know  how  to  take  interest  in 
everything, — local  manners,  usages,  traditional  cus- 
toms that  have  lasted,  costumes,  architecture,  beauties 
of  nature ;  manifestations  of  art ;  learn  to  appreciate 
the  great  painters  and  sculptors  of  each  country,  for 
one  does  not  know  much  when  one  knows  only  what  is 
done  at  home,  even  as  one  is  not  a  great  lord  if  one  has 
never  touched  anything  but  music;  seek  intellectual 
circles  and  the  society  of  artists,  and  listen  to  their  con- 
versation, for  I  would  not  venture  to  affirm  that  to  a 
certain  extent  genius  is  not  contagious ;  choose  one's 
friends  among  men  of  high  intellectual  culture  and 
take  interest  in  their  labours  of  whatever  nature  they 
may  be;  go  to  the  theatre  often,  not  the  lyric  stage 
alone,  but  also  the  good  theatres  of  tragedy,  comedy 
and  drama;  and  try  by  every  imaginable  means  con- 
stantly to  enlarge  one's  mind,  broaden  the  field  of 
one's  intelligence,  and  elevate  one's  mind ;  such  should 
be  the  constant  aim  of  all  young  musicians  who  aspire 
to  become  veritable  composers  in  the  highest  and  best 
acceptation  of  the  term. 

It  is  quite  certain  that  most  of  these  notions  might 
be  considerably  abridged  or  even  completely  neglect- 
ed if  the  limit  of  our  ambition  was  to  write  a  few  little 
light  pieces  of  no  pretensions  to  artistic  character, 
such  as  a  country  dance,  or  the  common  accompani- 
[244] 


STUDIES    NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

ment  of  a  popular  song.  That  is  musical  slang, 
which  answers  only  to  instinct  and  facile  expression 
and  does  not  require  any  kind  of  study.  The  maker 
of  music  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  composer ; 
and  here  we  have  in  mind  only  those  who  have  noble 
aspirations  and  want  to  mount  to  the  higher  spheres 
of  this  art.  Now  there  is  not  one  of  our  counsels  that 
will  not  be  of  use  to  the  latter.  It  might  be  thought, 
for  example,  that  the  recommendation  to  dive  deeply 
into  literary  studies  and  reading  the  poets  is  addressed 
specially  to  those  who  intend  to  write  for  the  stage: 
it  is  not  so  at  all,  for  there  is  no  more  profoundly  phil- 
osophical style  than  that  of  the  String  Quartet  or  that 
of  the  Symphony  which  is  derived  from  it,  or  rather 
which  is  its  extension,  so  strongly  do  certain  quartets 
appear  to  be  reductions  of  symphonies  and  to  have 
been  conceived  for  the  orchestra.  One  might  think 
that  it  is  not  a  matter  of  importance  to  have  travelled 
much  in  order  to  produce  beautiful  melodies,  but  this 
is  a  mistake,  for,  without  having  to  regard  it  as  an 
indispensable  condition,  yet  very  often  the  contem- 
plation of  beautiful  mountain  scenery,  the  incidents 
of  a  sea-voyage,  the  emotion  produced  by  a  striking 
natural  phenomenon  or  the  memory  that  it  leaves  be- 
hind is  the  principal  cause  of  the  inspiration  of  a 
beautiful  thought  that  reflects  its  grandeur,  charm, 
or  local  colour. 

It  is  a  sentiment  of  this  nature  that  explains  the 

sending  to  Italy  and  Germany  for  three  consecutive 

months  of  the  winners  of  the  Prix  de  Rome,  whatever 

branch  of  art  they  may  belong  to,  painters,  sculptors, 

[245] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

architects,  or  musicians.  In  these  travels,  in  addition 
to  all  that  people  learn  in  travelling,  they  find  the  op- 
portunity, as  Montaigne  says,  to  rub  against  other  in- 
telligent artists.  Inspiration  may  find  its  source  in 
everything  and  everywhere,  it  is  therefore  in  the  most 
cultivated  and  best  furnished  minds  that  it  will  most 
frequently  find  the  opportunity  of  springing  forth, 
with  equal  intensity  of  innate  genius. 

There  is  still  another  study  of  which  I  have  not  yet 
spoken,  precisely  because  it  more  specially  concerns 
those  who  want  to  make  a  business  of  the  stage:  it  is 
that  of  history,  in  which  I  include  mythology,  or 
myths  and  popular  legends.  When  one  has  to  set  a 
poem  to  music,  it  is  not  a  bad  thing  to  understand  it : 
now,  one  can  understand  it  only  if  one  knows  its  char- 
acters, the  reasons  that  induce  them  to  act  in  one  way 
rather  than  in  another,  their  characters,  their  impor- 
tance, the  part  they  have  played  in  History,  and  the 
period  in  which  they  lived.  Moreover,  it  is  not  a  bad 
thing  to  know  the  manners  of  that  period  so  as  not  to 
turn  into  ridicule  usages  that,  if  they  are  no  longer  of 
our  age,  were  at  that  time  infinitely  venerable,  and  so 
as  not  to  commit  anachronisms  and  reproduce  a  wrong 
spirit. 

In  the  same  way,  a  knowledge  of  Latin  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  those  only  who  are  attracted  by  relig- 
ious music;  it  facilitates  and  illuminates  literary 
studies,  nevertheless,  and  for  this  reason  might  be 
recommended  to  all;  but  if  the  Latin  tongue  is  to 
serve  as  a  text,  it  is  indispensable  to  know  it,  for  we 
cannot  set  to  music  and  properly  punctuate  a  phrase 
[246] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

the  sense  of  which  we  cannot  grasp,  word  for  word,  or 
words  in  which  we  do  not  know  the  long  or  short  syl- 
lables that  should  be  accented.  Therefore,  in  this 
case,  it  is  not  sufficient  to  know  Latin,  but  the  special 
rules  of  Latin  prosody  in  addition. 

Finally,  if  I  add  that  among  the  studies  of  the 
sciences,  of  which  I  have  spoken  somewhat  briefly,  that 
of  acoustics,  although  the  least  advanced  of  the  physi- 
cal sciences,  is  the  most  important  of  all  to  the  com- 
poser, for  whom  it  will  open  new  vistas  for  harmony 
as  well  as  for  orchestration,  I  shall  have  completed 
the  enumeration  of  the  branches  of  knowledge  out- 
side of  music  that  seem  to  me  to  be  necessary  for  the 
student  composer. 

All  these  things,  if  they  are  not  studied  now,  will 
have  to  be  returned  to  later.  It  is  therefore  better  to 
furnish  the  mind  immediately. 

It  may  be  that  you  will  meet  with  musicians  who 
have  "  arrived  "  who  will  tell  you  with  the  best  faith 
in  the  world :  "  What  is  the  use  of  encumbering  your 
mind  with  all  those  studies?  Nobody  ever  taught  me 
all  that." 

With  these,  bring  the  conversation  to  a  point  of 
history,  adroitly  lead  them  to  give  their  opinion  of  the 
characteristic  side  of  a  poet,  ask  them  for  the  explana- 
tion of  a  phenomenon  in  acoustics,  in  fact,  put  them 
under  a  little  examination,  and  you  will  very  soon  ac- 
quire the  conviction  that  if  nobody  has  ever  taught 
them  anything  it  is  because  they  have  learned  every- 
thing for  themselves,  and  that  they  would  be  strong 
enough  to  convince  the  doctors  of  this. 
[247] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

The  love  of  reading,  the  taste  for  literary  or  scien- 
tific meetings,  and  conversation  with  learned  men,  in 
their  case,  by  the  aid  of  a  great  facility  of  assimila- 
tion, will  have  taken  the  place  of  lessons  and  studies 
properly  so-called.  It  matters  little  how  they  have 
learned,  or  whether  they  have  learned  without  effort, 
and  without  even  perceiving  it ;  what  is  Certain  i? 
that  they  know.  You  will  never  see  a  great  artist  an 
ignoramus. 

But,  someone  will  object,  with  such  a  programme  of 
studies,  in  which  even  there  has  as  yet  been  no  mention 
of  musical  technique,  how  much  time  will  it  be  neces- 
sary to  devote  to  it?  A  whole  lifetime  would  not  suf- 
fice.— Yes,  it  would,  by  using  method  and  not  study- 
ing all  this  at  once.  Everything  in  its  own  time. 
After  several  years  devoted  to  letters  and  to  the  exact 
sciences,  one  will  proceed  to  philosophy  and  reading 
the  great  poets,  and  then  the  pupil,  having  learned  to 
work,  which  is  always  the  principal  thing,  may  be  left 
to  himself  to  complete  his  studies  by  such  reading 
as  suits  him,  selecting  it  from  the  subjects  already 
sketched  and  which  have  the  most  attractions  for  him, 
and  are  on  that  very  account  the  ones  that  he  has  the 
most  interest  in  investigating.  As  for  travelling,  it 
will  find  its  place  naturally  during  vacations. 

The  higher  musical  studies  are  very  long,  it  cannot 
be  denied,  when  we  want  to  render  them  solid  and  base 
them  on  an  indestructible  rock :  "  Time  respects  noth- 
ing that  has  been  made  without  him."  (I  know  not 
from  whom  this  thought  of  profound  truth  emanates, 
but  J.  J.  Rousseau  somewhat  paradoxically  manages 
[  248  ] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

to  go  even  farther:  "  The  greatest  fault  that  we  can 
commit  in  education  is  to  be  in  a  hurry ;  the  essential 
thing  is  not  to  gain  time,  but  to  lose  it."  We  have 
already  seen  an  analogous  conviction  expressed  in 
more  measured  terms  by  Ernest  Legouve. )  The  com- 
poser cannot  escape  this  inflexible  rule,  and  as  he  can- 
not devote  his  whole  time  every  day  to  music  alone, 
which  would  be  extravagant  and  would  lead  to  a 
breakdown  he  will  find  a  derivative  and  relative  re- 
pose in  literary  labours  skilfully  varied. 

It  is  even  necessary  for  him  to  arrange  moments  of 
veritable  recreation,  play  and  distraction.  The  best 
games  for  him  are  those  of  combination,  among  which 
chess,  billiards  and  a  few  others  stand  first ;  but  I  in- 
sist upon  chess,  which  trains  us  to  reflect  and  foresee, 
and  the  men  of  which,  with  their  various  moves  and 
the  illimitable  resulting  complications  may  offer  inter- 
esting analogies  with  the  games  of  counterpoint  and 
the  Innumerable  combinations  to  which  they  give  rise. 
Also  physical  exercises,  such  as  sports,  horsemanship, 
and  especially  fencing,  which  singularly  develops  the 
spirit  of  appropriateness,  forces  us  to  think  quickly 
without  the  aid  of  words,  and  constitutes  gymnas- 
tics of  the  mind  at  the  same  time  as  the  very  best  of 
the  exercises  of  the  body.  In  one  word,  put  into 
practice  the  following  excellent  advice :  "  The  great 
secret  of  education  is  to  make  the  exercises  of  the  body 
and  those  of  the  mind  always  serve  as  relaxation  to  one 
another  "  ( J.  J.  Rousseau)  ;  then,  as  a  complete  stop> 
a  simple  walk  in  the  fields,  in  the  fresh  air,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  paternal  advice  of  that  good  Schumann, 
17  [  249  ] 


whom  I  often  quote,  because  he  is,  in  my  opinion,  one 
of  those  who  have  best  understood  the  subject  that  I 
am  attempting  to  develop  here,  Musical  Education, 
which  must  not  be  confounded  with  Musical  Instruc- 
tion, which  I  have  treated  in  other  works.  Here  is 
the  text  of  this  advice :  "  Often  rest  yourself  from 
your  musical  studies  by  reading  good  poets.  Take 
walks  assiduously  (I  think  this  expression  to  walk  as- 
siduously absolutely  charming;  it  so  well  represents 
the  ways  of  the  student  dreamer)  in  the  country, 
through  the  fields." 

The  whole  thing,  here  as  always,  is  to  avoid  fatigue, 
intellectual  exhaustion,  which  we  may  manage  so  much 
the  more  easily  in  proportion  as  more  variety  is  intro- 
duced into  the  studies  and  we  do  not  keep  constantl}' 
to  the  sole  idea  of  music,  always  music,  which  must 
be  avoided,  if  only  for  the  sake  of  always  coming  back 
to  it  with  new  and  ever  greater  pleasure. 

And  now  it  is  no  longer  the  pupil  himself  whom  X 
am  addressing  but  his  relatives,  his  family  and  those 
immediately  about  him,  and  all  who  take  any  interest 
in  him  to  put  them  on  their  guard  against  two  equally 
dangerous  rocks  from  which  it  is  for  them  to  preserve 
him.  One  is  adulation  and  the  other  is  indifference. 
The  first  breeds  fatuity  and  the  second  entails  dis- 
couragement. 

It  is  detestable  to  create  an  atmosphere  of  admira- 
tion around  a  youthful  composer  and  to  accustom 
him,  as  is  too  often  done,  from  his  earliest  attempts 
to  excessive  praise  which  he  is  ever  ready  to  accept  as 
[250] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

genuine  and  which  intoxicates  him  and  deceives  him 
as  to  his  real  value,  and  the  sad  results  of  which  are 
first  to  hinder  him  from  working  and  to  lay  up  cruel 
deceptions  for  him  in  the  future. 

It  is  quite  as  bad  to  show  nothing  but  coldness  and 
indifference  to  his  work  and  what  it  produces,  for,  if 
he  sees  his  friends  and  relations  take  no  interest  in  it 
and  pay  no  attention  to  it,  how  can  he  hope  for  the 
good  will  and  a  more  sympathetic  reception  on  the 
part  of  the  strangers  of  whom  the  public  is  composed? 
I  once  knew  a  talented  young  man  who  at  least  pos- 
sessed great  facility  of  production  which  had  been 
developed  by  complete  studies,  who,  after  having  de- 
voted three  entire  months  to  the  composition  of  an  im- 
portant work,  one  evening  gathered  together  the  mem- 
bers of  his  family  to  give  them  a  private  hearing  of  it. 
The  poor  fellow  had  got  scarcely  half  through  it  when 
one  left  the  room,  another  went  to  sleep  and  a  third 
took  up  a  newspaper!  He  could  have  cried  over  it. 
The  result  was  that  he  gave  up  composing,  which  is 
probably  to  be  regretted. 

It  is  necessary  to  know  how  to  keep  a  middle  course, 
to  give  evidence  of  interest,  to  show  ourselves  indul- 
gent, to  be  always  ready  to  listen,  to  give  encourage- 
ment, neither  to  praise  nor  criticise  unless  we  feel 
certain  that  we  are  competent  in  the  matter,  but  also 
to  avoid  all  enthusiasm  that  would  not  find  an  echo 
in  the  outside  world  and  might  lead  a  beginner 
to  range  himself  prematurely  among  the  misunder- 
stood geniuses  and  imagine  himself  a  victim  of 
this  art. 

[251] 


By  the  side  of  Genius  there  is  Talent. 

When  the  two  are  united,  the  artist  is  complete. 

We  must  not  regard  talent  as  a  diminutive  of 
genius,  that  would  be  a  very  false  conception.  They 
are  two  things  that  are  absolutely  distinct  from  one 
another  and  both  equally  necessary  to  the  composer, 
but  do  not  resemble  each  other  in  anything. 

If,  as  we  have  just  said,  genius  is  an  innate  faculty, 
a  natural  gift  like  blue  eyes  or  black  hair,  talent,  on 
the  contrary,  is  acquired  piecemeal  by  study  and  is 
accessible  to  everybody  except  those  rare  natures  that 
are  absolutely  refractory  to  any  artistic  idea. 

I  shall  make  myself  understood  better  by  a  compar- 
ison. 

It  is  necessary  to  have  some  little  voice  in  order  to 
become  a  singer;  but  this  is  not  enough,  to  learn  how 
to  sing  is  also  necessary.  The  voice  is  the  gift;  to 
know  how  to  sing  is  what  is  acquired.  There  is  not 
the  slightest  advantage  in  having  a  beautiful  voice 
unless  we  know  how  to  use  it ;  and  to  know  how  to  sing 
is  useless  if  we  have  not  the  voice. 

Similarly,  in  order  to  become  a  composer  we  must 
first  have  some  little  inspiration;  but  that  does  not 
suffice,  we  must  also  learn  how  to  write.  Inspiration  is 
the  natural  gift;  to  know  how  to  write  is  what  is 
acquired.  There  is  no  use  in  having  ideas  if  we  do 
not  know  how  to  take  advantage  of  them ;  and  there  is 
no  use  in  possessing  talent  if  we  have  not  at  least  a 
tiny  grain  of  genius  to  fertilize  it  with. 

And,  pursuing  our  parallel,  just  as  we  should  never 
advise  anybody  who  has  no  voice  to  study  singing, 
[252] 


so  it  is  almost  useless  to  plunge  too  deeply  into  the 
long  and  often  arid  studies  of  the  composer  unless  we 
have  a  strong  presumption  that  we  shall  find  a  few 
ideas  to  place  at  the  service  of  our  erudition. 

We  will  not  return  to  the  elementary  studies.  It 
is  thoroughly  understood  that  before  undertaking  the 
higher  studies  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  solid  founda- 
tion of  solfeggio,  to  play  the  piano  pretty  well,  and, 
above  all,  to  be  a  good  sight-reader  and  able  to  write 
with  facility  what  we  hear,  since  now  it  will  be  a 
question  of  writing  no  longer  under  a  master's  dicta- 
tion, but  under  the  dictation  of  our  own  imagination. 

I  do  not  fear  insisting  again  here  on  the  importance 
of  the  use  of  the  piano,  because  it  is  for  new  reasons. 
When  we  are  forming  a  composer,  we  must  think  of 
everything  that  will  facilitate  his  career;  now,  the 
piano  should  hold  the  first  place  here:  by  its  means 
he  will  manage  to  make  his  productions  comprehensible 
to  an  editor,  or  a  theatrical  manager,  and  give  him  an 
idea  of  it.  If  he  is  not  a  sufficiently  good  pianist  for 
this,  he  will  be  forced  to  have  recourse  to  an  inter- 
preter, which  is  not  at  all  the  same  thing.  Every- 
body knows  the  Italian  proverb:  traduttore,  traditore 
(translator,  traitor);  however  able  and  well-inten- 
tioned he  may  be,  a  third  person  will  never  succeed 
in  conveying  the  thousand  shadings  of  detail  in  his 
work  as  intelligently  as  himself,  and  in  giving  it  the 
desired  go  and  colouring,  and  penetrating  the  mind 
of  the  leader  of  the  orchestra  with  it.  It  is  also  a 
good  thing  to  be  able  to  accompany  the  singers  and 
make  them  rehearse,  for  this  is  the  way  by  which  he 
[253] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

will  best  be  able  to  train  them  and  succeed  in  incul- 
cating them  with  his  own  ideas,  which  could  not  be 
done  by  the  best  accompanist  who  is  not  imbued  with 
them  as  he  is.  The  piano  is  a  power  for  him,  a 
precious  tool,  an  incomparable  auxiliary,  the  handling 
of  which  he  must  acquire  at  the  most  favourable  time, 
that  is  to  say,  in  early  youth.  If  not,  he  will  always 
regret  it. 

"  I  have  often  missed  the  use  of  this  instrument ; 
it  would  have  been  useful  to  me  under  many  circum- 
stances," wrote  Berlioz  *  at  a  period  when  his  career 
had  almost  ended  and  when  he  had  been  able  by  cruel 
personal  experience  to  learn  what  things  are  likely  to 
aid  or  to  hinder  a  composer's  course. 

II.  THE  SCIENCE  OF  Music :  STUDY  or  HARMONY 
AND  COUNTERPOINT 

This  small  collection  of  preliminary  knowledge 
constitutes  what  we  will  henceforth  call  being  a  good 
musician.  By  solfeggio,,  we  possess  the  Language; 
by  the  piano,  we  have  been  able  to  make  ourselves 
familiar  with  the  Art.  Now  we  are  going  to  enter 
directly  into  the  domain  of  Science. 

"  Do  not  be  afraid  of  the  words  Theory,  Harmony, 

Counterpoint,  etc.     If  you  smile  at  them,  they  will 

do  as  much  for  you."     Again  it  is  Schumann  from 

whom  we  borrow  this  gracious  image  which  is  absolute 

truth ;  for  if  we  have  thought  it  our  duty  to  say  above 

that  the  higher  musical  studies  are  sometimes  arid, 

*  Hector  Berlioz,  Mtmoiret. 

[254] 


STUDIES    NECESSARY    FOR    COMPOSERS 

this  must  be  understood  to  apply  only  to  those  who 
are  incompletely  endowed.  For  the  others,  musical 
science  is  amiable  and  full  of  charm,  as  Montaigne 
seems  to  describe  it  in  his  picturesque  language: 
"  Science  should  have  her  abode  in  a  fertile  plain  to 
which  we  gain  access  by  sweet-scented  and  flowery 
ways  of  smooth  and  easy  grade.  Why  set  her  apart 
on  a  savage  rock,  a  phantom  to  terrify  people?  " 
This  is  particularly  true  for  the  science  of  harmony, 
"  that  divine  art  that  all  great  minds  have  loved ; 
perhaps  the  only  one  that  we  may  hope  to  find  in  the 
better  world  that  is  promised  to  us."  * 

The  study  of  harmony  teaches  you  that  precious 
thing,  probity  of  writing;  and  with  it,  grace,  elegance, 
distinction,  and  especially  clearness  of  ideas.  With- 
out it,  the  style  is  awkward,  heavy,  and  full  of  useless 
incumbrances  and  superfluities ;  moreover,  it  is  this 
that  teaches  us  the  art  of  rich,  entrancing,  or  suave 
sonorities,  happy  modulations  coming  sensibly  and 
appropriately,  true  equilibrium  and  learned  propor- 
tions to  be  given  to  the  tonal  edifice ;  also  the  art  of 
writing  for  the  voice,  handling  it  skilfully  and  ob- 
taining from  it  all  the  effect  it  is  capable  of  yield- 
ing. 

The  traces  of  it  last  through  the  entire  life  of  the 
composer,  especially  if  he  has  studied  under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  learned  and  experienced  master;  and  all  his 
works  to  their  smallest  details  will  show  its  influence — 
so  much  so,  that  on  examining  a  single  page  of  any 
writer  whatsoever,  a  true  artist   can  judge  immedi- 
*  Fran9ois  Bazin,  TraiU  (FHarmonie  (Preface). 
[255] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

ately  whether  his  studies  have  been  carried  far  or 
merely  sketched. 

Harmony  is  the  chief  of  the  composer's  studies. 
By  this  I  mean  that  if  any  one  of  them  had  to  be 
neglected,  which  would  always  be  infinitely  to  be  re- 
gretted, it  should  not  be  this  one  on  any  account  what- 
soever. 

This  study  cannot  be  completed  in  a  week;  on  the 
contrary,  it  gains  by  being  conducted  tranquilly,  rest- 
fully,  and  reflectively;  for  the  pupil  ought  to  store 
his  mind  with  a  number  of  rules  and  no  less  numerous 
exceptions  without  memory  coming  into  play  at  all, 
or  very  little.  What  is  essential  is  to  gain  a  full  com- 
prehension of  the  value  of  these  rules  and  exceptions, 
to  grasp  the  reason  for  the  existence  of  each  and 
thoroughly  to  understand  their  utility.  Then  we 
find  ourselves  in  possession  of  resources  at  which  we 
ourselves  are  astonished,  for  nothing  beforehand,  and 
particularly  early  in  the  study,  could  have  made  us 
suspect  their  existence. 

It  is  quite  understood  that  these  writing  studies,  as 
well  as  those  of  counterpoint,  of  which  we  shall  speak 
a  little  later,  must  be  done  at  the  table,  without  the 
aid  of  the  piano  or  other  instrument,  so  as  to  accus- 
tom ourselves  to  hear  mentally  with  absolute  pre- 
cision. If  at  first  this  is  troublesome,  it  will  not  be 
for  long,  and  we  shall  be  well  recompensed  later. 

Above  all,  we  must  not  forget  that  nothing  is  to 

be  gained  by  going  quickly,  and  be  on  our  guard 

against  professors  who  pretend  that  they  will  teach 

us  harmony  in  twenty  lessons.     It  is  necessary   for 

[256] 


STUDIES  NECESSARY  FOR  COMPOSERS 

us  to  reckon  on  about  two  years  for  merely  learn- 
ing the  rules  and  knowing  how  to  apply  them  (for 
here  we  must  never  separate  practice  and  theory). 
Then  remains  for  us  to  acquire  manual  dexterity, 
touch,  the  real  talent  of  the  harmonist,  which  takes 
at  least  an  equal  length  of  time. 

We  must  not  be  afraid  of  this  slowness,  which  is 
more  apparent  than  real,  however  strange  that  may 
appear,  for  on  one  hand,  when  once  the  harmony 
studies  are  ended  half  of  the  whole  distance  will  have 
been  covered,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  by  means  of  a 
certain  dovetailing  of  the  studies  which  I  will  explain 
a  little  later,  we  find  ourselves  able  to  save  a  consider- 
able amount  of  the  total  time. 

The  average  age  at  which  it  seems  to  me  most  desir- 
able to  undertake  the  study  of  harmony  is  about 
15  or  16  years.  Here  it  is  no  longer  as  with  sol- 
feggio (the  Language)  that  is  never  learned  better 
than  intuitively.  We  have  now  reached  Science,  and 
a  certain  degree  of  maturity  of  mind  is  indispensable, 
so  that  to  begin  earlier  seems  to  me  to  be  useless  and, 
perhaps  even  hurtful,  as  mentally  fatiguing  except  in 
certain  exceptional  cases,  for  there  is  nothing  absolute 
in  this.  But  on  the  other  hand,  he  who  in  a  desired 
time  has  acquired  the  primary  knowledge  and  has  pre- 
served a  very  precise  memory  of  it  may  devote  himself 
to  harmony  at  no  matter  what  age,  since  reasoning 
is  everything  here.  Perhaps  even  (I  have  never  made 
the  experiment)  anyone  whose  mind  has  already  been 
disciplined  for  the  work  by  some  other  study  demand- 
ing close  application,  such  for  instance  as  mathematics, 
[257] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

might  succeed  in  assimilating  the  precepts  of  har- 
mony in  a  shorter  period  than  is  generally  necessary. 

The  amount  of  time  to  be  devoted  to  harmony  is 
one  or  two  hours  a  day  at  the  beginning,  gradually 
increasing  this  up  to  four  hours.  More  would  be 
useless.  Moreover,  this  time  must  be  divided  so  as 
never  to  keep  the  mind  intent  on  the  same  subject  for 
more  than  two  consecutive  hours. 

To  these  four  hours  of  harmony,  add  two  hours  of 
piano,  four  hours  of  literary  or  scientific  study,  mak- 
ing ten  hours  of  work,  reserve  two  hours  for  meals  and 
the  unforeseen,  two  hours  more  for  walking  or  physi- 
cal exercise,  a  total  of  fourteen  hours ;  there  is  a  well- 
balanced  day  leaving  still  about  ten  hours  for  sleep, 
which  is  more  than  is  necessary  even  in  youth. 

Approximately  this  is  how  I  would  distribute  these 
hours  through  the  day,  so  as  to  get  the  greatest  pos- 
sible profit: 

Morning:     8  to  9 Harmony 

9  to  11 Scientific  studies 

11  to  noon.  .  .  .  Piano 

Afternoon :     1  to  2 Rest  or  exercise 

2  to  3 Harmony 

3  to  5 Literary  studies 

5  to  6 Harmony 

6  to  7 Piano 

Evening :     8  to  9 Rest  or  exercise 

9  to  10 Harmony 

In  this  manner,  fatigue  will  be  reduced  to  a  mini- 
mum by  the  variety  introduced  into  the  diverse  con- 
[258] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR  COMPOSERS 

secutive  studies.  For  harmony,  which  is  the  principal 
thing  for  the  moment,  I  reserve  the  best  places :  the 
morning  on  getting  up,  then  after  exercise,  when  the 
mind  is  refreshed  and  the  ideas  fresh,  then  in  the  even- 
ing before  going  to  bed,  which  prepares  the  work  for 
the  following  morning  and  renders  it  easier.  The 
hours  of  recreation  are  arranged  just  after  those  of 
repose,  which  conforms  to  the  principles  of  hygiene ; 
moreover,  they  are  those  in  which  intellectual  work  is 
at  once  more  laborious  and  less  profitable. 

Twice  a  week,  one  of  the  hours  devoted  to  harmony 
should  be  occupied  by  the  lesson  (two  lessons  are  suf- 
ficient) ;  once  a  week,  one  of  the  hours  of  piano  study 
should  likewise  have  a  piano  lesson  substituted ;  if 
with  this,  the  professor  of  literature  could  be  induced 
to  come  to  talk  with  his  pupil  once  or  twice  a  week  in 
the  hours  reserved  for  literature  and  science,  that 
would  be  perfect ;  there  would  be  neither  fatigue  nor 
lost  time,  and  the  work  thus  regulated  would  be  agree- 
able and  productive  at  the  same  time. 

I  have  presented  this  little  model  of  the  employ- 
ment of  time  so  as  to  reply  in  advance  to  the  objec- 
tions that  might  arise  as  to  the  difficulty  of  learning 
so  many  things  at  the  same  time.  Many  more  are 
learned  in  the  Lycees,  because  there,  the  employment 
of  each  hour  is  strictly  fixed. 

We  must  know  how  to  make  our  own  personal  regu- 
lation ;  and  once  made,  to  become  its  slave. 

We  may  vary  the  exercises  of  written  harmony, 
which  is  the  basis  of  the  instruction,  with  those  of  har- 
mony applied  to  the  piano,  and  this  is  an  excellent 
[259] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

thing.  These  practical  exercises  are:  1.  Playing 
on  the  piano  the  Figured  Bass,  such  as  was  used  by 
the  composers  of  the  Sixteenth  Century,  and  which 
was  still  employed  by  Rossini  in  the  recitatives  of  all 
his  works  in  Italian.  2.  The  accompaniment  of  a 
song,  or  any  melody  which  is  presented  devoid  of  any 
indication.  3.  The  reading  and  translation  to  the 
piano  of  the  orchestral  score,  which  is  of  the  highest 
interest.  All  this  should  be  done  at  sight,  without 
preparation  of  any  kind,  and  under  the  attentive  eye 
of  an  excellent  master,  an  indispensable  matter.  Un- 
der these  conditions,  this  accustoms  one  to  think 
quickly,  and  to  apply  the  rules  of  harmony  without 
hesitation,  and  it  is  an  excellent  preparation  for  the 
study  of  improvization. 

During  the  whole  time  of  the  harmony  studies,  as  all 
those  that  follow  them,  it  is  indispensable  to  hear  a 
great  deal  of  music  of  every  school,  but  especially  the 
best  possible,  and  preferably  by  the  classic  writers : — 
grand  symphony  concerts,  chamber-music,  recitals 
by  great  virtuosi  or  great  singers,  organ  recitals,  cho- 
ral renderings,  all  these  are  also  subjects  of  study  for 
the  harmony  student.  But  we  must  not  go  to  hear  all 
this  passively  for  the  mere  sensual  pleasure  of  the  ear, 
we  must  force  ourselves  to  bring  to  these  hearings  a 
little  of  the  spirit  of  analysis  that  will  later  form  the 
principal  element  in  the  studies  of  pure  composition ; 
that  is  to  say  that  we  must  not  listen  to  a  single  piece 
without  trying  to  recognize  in  what  key  it  is  written, 
the  time  (we  have  the  right  to  look  at  the  conductor), 
and  the  principal  modulations.  All  this  can  be  noted 
[260] 


STUDIES    NECESSARY    FOR   COMPOSERS 

down  rapidly  on  a  little  pad  carried  for  the  purpose 
that  can  afterwards  be  submitted  to  the  professor  for 
the  sake  of  being  sure  that  we  have  heard  and  under- 
stood correctly. 

To  catch  the  key  in  which  an  orchestral  piece  or 
chamber-music  begins,  we  have  only  to  listen  attentive- 
ly to  the  musicians  while  they  are  tuning  up,  and  thus 
get  the  A  with  them.  If  we  do  not  succeed  in  this 
way,  it  is  because  our  ear  is  not  yet  sufficiently  trained 
and  then  we  must  courageously  set  ourselves  again  to 
the  exercises  of  dictation.*  A  few  rare  individuals 
enjoy  a  very  singular  faculty,  a  sort  of  indefinitely 
prolonged  and  constant  memory  of  sound  in  its  abso- 
lute degree  of  height  in  correlation  with  the  name  that 
is  given  to  it,  they  have  the  A  of  the  diapason  (an 
essentially  conventional  thing)  or  any  other  note  as 
though  indelibly  engraved  on  their  ear,  and,  conse- 
quently, without  any  kind  of  aid,  they  can  discern 
the  exact  key  of  everything  that  they  hear.  At  any 
hour  of  the  day  or  night,  on  their  return  from  a  long 
journey  on  which  they  have  not  heard  a  note  of  music, 
or  on  recovery  from  a  long  illness,  they  can  give  the 
A  to  an  orchestra  with  certainty,  and  they  never  make 
a  mistake ;  they  have  the  diapason  in  their  ear,  or  bet- 
ter still,  they  are  living  diapasons.  I  have  known  sev- 
eral without  taking  count  of  them,  and  I  have  been 
able  to  convince  myself  that  this  strange  disposition 
constitutes  only  a  negative  quality  that  leads  to  noth- 
ing and  is  useless.  Neither  Rossini,  nor  Gounod,  nor 
Ambroise  Thomas,  nor  other  great  composers  with 
*  See  page  26. 

[261] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

whom  I  have  often  talked  about  it  possessed  it  in  the 
slightest  degree.  It  appears  to  me  indubitable,  how- 
ever, that  this  faculty  is  connected  only  with  an  ear 
that  is  perfectly  true  in  what  concerns  the  relations 
of  sounds  to  one  another,  a  matter  that  is  indis- 
pensable. 

Let  us  return. — Another  way  of  hearing  a  concert 
intelligently  is  to  procure  beforehand  the  score  of 
what  is  going  to  be  played,  decipher  it  at  home,  carry 
it  to  the  concert,  follow  it  attentively  and  play  it  over 
again  on  returning  home.  The  same  thing  should  be 
done  for  the  concerts  of  Chamber-music.  For  all  the 
classic  quartets,  there  exist  little  diamond  editions  that 
are  easy  to  put  in  the  pocket,  which  double  the  pleas- 
ure of  listening  for  those  who  know  how  to  read  well. 
For  the  classic  symphonies  of  Beethoven,  Mozart, 
Haydn  and  Mendelssohn,  the  orchestral  score  must 
also  be  procured  so  as  to  learn  how  to  discern  the 
timbre  of  each  instrument  (again  a  little  piece  of 
good  advice  by  Schumann :  "  Penetrate  early  into  the 
tone  and  character  of  every  instrument  and  accustom 
your  ear  to  distinguish  its  individual  colouring." 
Notice  carefully  that  he  says :  early )  ; — this  will  be 
exceedingly  valuable  later  when  we  shall  occupy  our- 
selves with  Orchestration. 

Employed  in  this  manner,  the  two  hours'  duration 
of  a  concert  will  afford  more  instruction  than  any 
other  lesson  whatsoever. 

Less  useful  for  the  moment  are  theatrical  perform- 
ances, which,  however,  must  not  be  entirely  neglected, 
but  during  which  the  mind  is  too  much  occupied  with. 
[262] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

other  tilings  to  be  able  to  attend  to  those  details  of 
purely  musical  analysis.  Their  turn  will  come  in  their 
proper  time. 

The  moment  has  now  arrived  to  explain  the  over- 
lapping of  studies,  of  which  I  have  already  said  a  few 
words. 

When  we  begin  the  study  of  Harmony,  it  is  well  to 
continue  that  of  solfeggio,  at  least  for  a  certain  time, 
since  we  have  established  that  it  could  never  be  pushed 
too  far  nor  prolonged  too  much.  Similarly,  when  we 
have  attained  a  certain  skill  in  writing  by  the  study 
of  Harmony,  we  can  without  inconvenience  undertake 
that  of  Counterpoint  conjointly,  but  in  small  doses. 

It  is  difficult  to  settle  the  opportune  moment,  for  it 
depends  altogether  on  the  personality  of  the  pupil,  his 
character  and  temperament.  The  teacher,  who  alone 
can  judge  of  this,  is  alone  capable  of  determining. 
In  short,  it  is  the  moment  when  the  pupil,  having  now 
for  several  months  known  the  whole  of  the  principles, 
is  beginning  to  know  how  to  apply  them  judiciously, 
with  facility  and  elegance  to  those  school  exercises 
known  by  the  name  of  given  themes  and  given  basses, 
whatever  their  style  may  be,  either  of  classic  or  mod- 
ern form.  To  begin  Counterpoint  earlier  than  that 
would  be  a  fault,  and  for  this  reason :  its  rules,  while 
they  are  not  the  same  as  those  of  Harmony,  which  are 
derived  from  it,  present  numerous  analogies,  never- 
theless ;  and  if  we  begin  to  study  it  before  the  former 
have  had  time  to  fix  themselves  indelibly  in  the  mind, 
we  run  a  great  risk  of  confusion  arising  between  the 
[263] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

two,  rendering  them  both  unintelligible,  or  depriving 
them  of  the  precision  that  constitutes  their  force,  to 
the  great  prejudice  of  the  pupil's  progress,  who  will 
simply  get  confused.  It  therefore  belongs  to  the  pro- 
fessor alone  to  assume  such  a  responsibility,  I  repeat, 
because  the  pupil  cannot  be  the  judge  of  this  ques- 
tion ;  he  is  not  sufficiently  favourably  situated  to  see 
for  himself. 

But  when  this  double  study  is  undertaken  at  the 
proper  time,  Counterpoint,  on  the  contrary,  becomes 
a  precious  and  incomparable  auxiliary  for  the  com- 
pletion of  the  higher  studies  of  Harmony.  We  shall 
understand  this  immediately. 

The  two  following  comparisons  have  often  been 
made :  "  Counterpoint,  in  relation  to  Harmony,  is 
what  Syntax  is  to  Grammar,"  or  "  Counterpoint  is  to 
Harmony  as  Algebra  is  to  Arithmetic."  Both  are 
false,  for  Syntax  would  be  of  no  use  at  all  unless  we 
first  knew  Grammar,  and  Algebra,  with  its  formulae 
and  equations,  would  be  helpless  without  the  assist- 
ance of  Arithmetic  to  solve  them,  whilst  Counterpoint 
forms  a  complete  whole  in  itself  and  we  can  learn  it 
quite  well  without  knowing  a  word  of  Harmony,  as 
is  often  done  in  Germany  and  as  was  necessarily 
done  everywhere  before  the  harmonic  theories  were  es- 
tablished and  spread,  and  before  they  existed  even 
in  germ.  I  infinitely  prefer  this  third  comparison 
which  possesses  the  advantage  of  an  indisputable  his- 
toric truth:  "  Counterpoint  is  a  dead  musical  language 
which  has  given  birth  to  the  living  musical  language 
of  the  present  day." 

[264] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

The  musicians  of  to-day,  therefore,  have  the  same 
interest  in  learning  Counterpoint  as  the  French, 
Italians  and  Spanish,  people  of  Latin  origin,  have  in 
learning  Latin.  They  will  never  so  well  comprehend 
the  genius  of  their  own  tongue,  nor  ever  speak  and 
write  it  so  purely  as  when  they  have  studied  their 
mother  tongue.  This  it  is  wherein  lies  its  veritable 
utility  for  every  composer  who  has  the  ambition  to 
write  works  of  an  elevated  character  and  of  solid  con- 
struction. 

We  cannot  form  an  absolutely  exact  idea  of  what 
Counterpoint  is  without  having  practised  it  to  some 
extent  ourselves;  nevertheless,  I  wanted  my  readers 
to  know  the  truth  about  it.  That  is  why  I  ask  to  be 
allowed  to  make  another  comparison  which  perhaps 
will  be  better  understood  by  some  people,  particularly 
those  who  cultivate  the  arts  of  design :  "  Counterpoint 
is  in  music  what  the  manner  of  the  primitive  masters 
is  in  painting."  The  great  and  admirable  works  writ- 
ten in  the  pure  style  of  counterpoint  by  Palestrina, 
Orlando  di  Lasso,  Arcadelt,  Clement  Jannequin,  Vit- 
toria,  Allegri,  and  other  of  their  contemporaries  have 
something  of  the  simplicity,  stiffness  and  awkward- 
ness in  their  manner,  but  also  the  sincerity  and  pro- 
found conviction  of  the  admirable  paintings  of  the 
primitive  Italians,  Cimabue,  Giotto,  and  the  first  of 
the  great  painters  of  the  Italian  Renaissance,  Ghir- 
landajo,  Lippi  and  Botticelli,  etc.,  which  are  so  de- 
lightfully interesting  and  attractive  to  study  when 
one  can  do  so  at  leisure  in  the  museums  of  Florence. 
Like  these  also,  their  subjects  are  almost  always  re- 
18  [  265  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

ligious  texts,  conceived  and  interpreted  in  the  Me- 
diaeval manner. 

"  At  the  beginning  of  the  German  school,"  says 
Theophile  Gautier,  "  we  find  the  handling  dry,  la- 
boured, minute  and  hieratic,  so  to  speak,  which  is 
common  to  all  the  primitive  artists."  A  musician 
could  not  have  expressed  himself  in  truer  terms. 

The  robust  and  ingenious  art  of  the  early  masters 
is  dead,  just  as  the  contrapuntal  style  is;  but  both 
have  given  birth  to  other  artistic  manifestations, 
which  could  not  have  existed  without  them  and  their 
fertile  gropings,  and  in  the  course  of  years  produced 
geniuses  like  Michelangelo,  Titian,  Lionardo  da 
Vinci,  Raphael,  Paul  Veronese,  Rubens,  Velasquez, 
Sebastian  Bach,  Gluck,  Mozart,  Beethoven,  Rossini, 
Berlioz,  Wagner  and  the  great  modern  masters,  thus 
leaving  the  imperishable  traces  behind  them. 

That  is  what  Counterpoint  is. 

From  the  technical  point  of  view,  the  great  differ- 
ence that  exists  between  it  and  the  harmonic  theory  is 
that  the  latter  is  based  upon  the  existence  of  fully 
constituted  chords  and  the  combinations  that  they  can 
form  among  themselves ;  whilst  Counterpoint,  start- 
ing from  a  more  rudimentary  point,  considers  all  the 
arrangements  that  can  be  brought  into  existence  by 
notes  simultaneously  grouped  two  by  two,  three  by 
three,  etc.,  and  it  is  from  this  that  it  takes  its  name, 
punctum  contra  punctum,  point  against  point,  the 
word  point  being  taken  here  in  the  sense  of  note. 

For  the  harmonist,  the  chief  thing  is  the  chord ;  fot 
the  contrapuntist,  it  is  the  note.  To  tell  the  truth, 
[266] 


STUDIES    NECESSARY    FOR    COMPOSERS 

Counterpoint  is  the  oldest  and  most  venerable  of  the 
system  of  Harmony,  and  Harmony  is  nothing  but 
modernized  Counterpoint.  Everybody  who  tries  to 
make  two  notes  go  together,  or  sketches  the  slightest 
fragment  of  accompaniment  to  a  song,  is  making 
counterpoint  unknown  to  himself,  just  as  M.  Jourdain 
made  prose ;  so  there  is  no  need  to  be  greatly  fright- 
ened about  it. 

Counterpoint  rejects  constructed  or  arpeggio 
chords ;  regular  and  rigorously  symmetrical  formulae 
seem  flat  and  uninteresting  and  stupid  to  it ;  above  all, 
it  likes  the  independent  march  of  the  parts  and  takes 
pleasure  in  ingenuities  which  it  sometimes  even  pushes 
to  the  verge  of  puerility  or  Chinese  ornaments ;  for 
ever  and  ever  it  demands  variety,  as  in  Gothic  archi- 
tecture, in  which  not  one  capital,  not  one  ornamental 
detail,  nor  a  window-frame  is  repeated,  and  this  va- 
riety must  not  injure  the  unity.  It  also  constantly 
requires  invention,  fresh  designs  and  new  riches, 
voices  that  seem  to  question  and  answer  each  other 
wittily,  pursue,  overlap  and  get  entangled  without 
ever  returning  a  second  time  into  absolutely  identical 
combinations,  such  is  the  very  essence  of  Counter- 
point, the  highest  expression  and  the  most  perfect 
form  of  which  is  the  Fugue,  as  understood  by  Sebas- 
tian Bach,  who  marked  the  culminating  point  of  that 
epoch. 

All  the  studies  of  Counterpoint  converge  towards 
this  sole  goal:  to  succeed  in  writing  the  Fugue  cor- 
rectly. "  Therefore  there  can  be  no  better  study  for 
a  young  composer.  He  will  thereby  learn  to  present 
[267] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

and  develop  his  ideas  with  power,  flexibility  and  in- 
genuity." *  It  is  by  the  study  of  Counterpoint  that 
we  learn  to  know  the  most  learned  musical  combina- 
tions, as  well  as  the  art  of  getting  the  greatest  pos- 
sible advantage  from  an  idea,  or  a  motive,  that  here 
takes  the  name  Subject.  It  is  in  the  Fugue  more  than 
anywhere  else  that  we  find  the  model  of  good  order 
and  equilibrium  for  all  the  parts  of  a  musical  com- 
position of  whatsoever  dimensions  and  whatever  may 
be  the  style  in  which  it  is  conceived,  even  the  most 
modern  and  most  advanced  style.  Very  foolish  or 
ignorant  are  those  then  who  think  that  all  these  rules 
and  all  these  principles  are  of  a  nature  to  shackle 
genius ;  they  may  dam  it  however,  which  is  quite  an- 
other matter.  It  should  be  sufficient  for  them  to  know 
that  all  the  most  celebrated  composers  who  are  the 
objects  of  their  admiration  were  and  still  are  strong 
contrapuntists,  as  well  as  skilful  harmonists.  Mozart, 
Beethoven,  Mendelssohn,  Schumann,  Cesar  Franck, 
Richard  Wagner,  Massenet  and  Saint-Saens,  to  men- 
tion only  a  few,  have  strongly  impregnated  and 
nourished  their  minds  with  these  solid  and  retrospec- 
tive studies  of  which  all  their  works  bear  the  masterly 
imprint,  which  has  not  in  the  least  hindered  them  from 
preserving  and  loudly  asserting  their  own  personality, 
and  from  going  forward. 

Has  any  one  ever  thought  of  pretending  that  the 

study  of  Greek  or  Latin  literature,  the  reading  of 

Sophocles,  ^Eschylus,  Euripides,  Horace,  or  Virgil  is 

likely  to  be  prejudicial  to  the  originality  of  young 

*  Th.  Dubois,  Traitt  de  contrepoini  et  fugue. 

[268] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

writers,  be  they  poets,  prose-writers,  or  dramatic  au- 
thors? This  would  be  neither  more  nor  less  absurd,  it 
would  be  the  same  thing.  It  would  be  attributing  to 
ignorance  a  virtue  that  it  does  not  possess,  and  putting 
a  premium  on  laziness  and  heedlessness. 

And  unfortunately,  this  idea  is  very  prevalent  in 
the  amateur  world;  they  think  that  as  soon  as  they 
have  ideas  they  have  only  to  take  a  pen  and  put  them 
down  on  paper  without  taking  any  notice  of  what 
those  who  went  before  them  did. 

With  my  own  ears,  I  have  heard  a  young  society 
composer  utter  this  delightful  table-talk :  "  Why, 
they  would  pay  me  to  write  Bach:  but  that  I  would 
not  do !  "  I  have  also  heard  a  young  painter  who  had 
lived  in  Rome  for  several  months  boast  loudly  that  he 
had  never  set  his  foot  in  a  museum.  They  were  two 
imbeciles. 

Far  from  this,  we  should  know  our  classics  to  the 
bottom,  admire  all  that  is  admirable  in  them,  set  our- 
selves to  penetrate  profoundly  into  their  genius  and 
their  proceedings,  their  composition,  and  never  fear 
that  this  knowledge  will  incite  us  to  anything  more 
than  this :  the  desire  to  become  a  creator  like  them, 
which  is  perhaps  the  best  way  to  stimulate  the  blos- 
soming of  ideas,  and  to  induce  and  excite  the  secretion 
of  thought.  "  The  influence  of  the  masters  is  a 
veritable  paternity:  to  want  to  do  without  them  is  as 
sensible  as  it  would  be  to  pretend  to  be  a  father  with- 
out having  been  a  son."  * 

In  the  same  order  of  ideas,  we  will  say  on  this  point 
*  Gounod,  fitude  sur  les  chorals  de  Bach. 

[269] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

of  the  higher  studies  that  even  more  energetically 
than  in  the  past  the  obligation  is  imposed  to  hear  a 
great  deal  of  music  of  all  styles,  the  religious  style, 
(Catholic  religious  art  has  produced  marvels,  that 
are  infinitely  too  greatly  neglected  in  our  day),  the 
symphonic  style,  the  dramatic  style,  the  music  of  all 
ages,  modern  as  well  as  classic,  for  one  ought  to 
neglect  nothing.  "  If  there  were  only  one  school  and 
one  doctrine  in  art,  art  would  very  quickly  perish  for 
lack  of  boldnesses  and  new  attempts."  *  Therefore, 
we  must  frequent  the  churches,  concerts  and  theatres 
where  there  is  music.  When  we  go  to  the  theatre,  es- 
pecially to  hear  a  work  that  we  do  not  yet  know,  we 
must  first  have  read  the  entire  score,  preferably  at 
the  table,  if  we  have  arrived  at  that  degree  of  per- 
fection which  consists  in  hearing  with  ,our  eyes 
("You  must  render  yourself  capable  of  reading  any 
music  and  comprehending  it  by  sight  alone  "  f), — 
otherwise  at  the  piano,  if  it  suits  you  better  and  if 
you  play  that  instrument  well,  by  taking  note  of  the 
passages  to  which  you  think  you  will  want  to  pay 
special  attention  when  you  hear  it  given,  either  by 
reason  of  their  special  beauty  that  delights  you,  or  on 
the  other  hand  because  you  feel  that  you  do  not  un- 
derstand them,  on  account  of  appearing  confused  or 
obscure  to  you.  Then,  take  the  score  with  you  to  the 
performance,  and  courageously  follow  the  execution 
line  by  line  even  if  that  should  cause  you  to  be  re- 
garded as  a  "  poser  "  by  those  in  the  next  seats.  Be 
particular  for  the  moment  carefully  to  qbserve  the 
*  George  Sand.  f  Schumann. 

[270] 


STUDIES    NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

great  features  of  the  composition,  the  division  of  the 
work  into  parts,  the  structure  of  these  parts,  the  di- 
vision of  the  work  by  scenes  according  to  the  more 
modern  form  that  tends  at  present,  perhaps  a  little 
too  much,  to  become  generalized;  pay  attention  also 
to  the  manner  of  treating  the  voices,  in  the  solos  as 
well  as  in  the  ensembles  and  choruses;  to  the  role  of 
the  orchestra,  the  concordance  between  the  dramatic 
action  and  the  musical  text,  the  good  prosody  and  the 
lyrical  declamation.  In  fact,  proceed  as  if  you  had 
been  commissioned  to  write  a  critical  and  analytical 
account  of  the  work,  nevertheless  forcing  yourself  to 
take  note  of  the  interpretation  and  the  value  of  the 
interpreters,  setting  beside  them  the  ideal  of  the  in- 
terpreters and  interpretation  dreamed  of  by  the  com- 
poser. In  this  manner,  you  will  succeed  in  forming 
your  judgment  and  having  the  right  to  assert  ad- 
mirations and  preferences  based  on  something  more 
than  the  fashion,  or  public  snobbery.  At  a  second 
hearing,  if  you  are  convinced  that  you  have  thor- 
oughly penetrated  the  intent  of  the  composer  and  his 
proceedings,  it  will  be  better  to  go  to  the  theatre  with- 
out the  score  and  let  the  action  work  upon  you.  After 
analysis,  emotion. — Some  people  may  extol  the  in- 
verse order:  to  submit  themselves  to  the  emotion  first 
and  seek  its  causes  afterwards.  It  is  perhaps  a  mat- 
ter of  temperament ;  you  can  try  it.  I  prefer  to  pro- 
ceed as  I  have  said,  because  in  the  Lyrical  Drama,  or 
the  Opera,  or  even  the  Opera  Comique,  it  is  not  the 
same  as  in  the  Operetta  or  Fairy  Opera,  where  sur- 
prise and  the  unexpected  play  an  important  part.  A 
[271] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

great  musical  work  that  is  truly  beautiful  produces 
as  great  an  impression  at  the  second  hearing  as  at  the 
first,  sometimes  greater  (this  is  even  a  mark  of  true 
masterpieces),  and  consequently  this  element  of  the 
unforeseen  need  not  be  taken  into  account  for  its 
sound  appreciation,  and  for  so  much  the  more  reason 
in  the  case,  analysis  for  the  sake  of  study,  of  which 
we  are  speaking  here. 

Those  who  are  hardest  to  please  will  agree  that  our 
plan  of  composition  studies,  if  for  a  moment  it  has 
seemed  to  them  to  be  more  extensive  than  they  antici- 
pated, is  not  really  too  burdensome,  and  permits  of 
some  pleasant  moment,  for,  after  all's  said  and  done, 
the  obligation  of  often  going  to  the  theatre  or  con- 
cert, even  with  the  means  of  taking  interest  in  it  more 
intelligently  than  the  ordinary  run  of  mortals,  would 
make  many  students  envious,  whatever  their  branch  of 
study  might  be,  and  would  not  strike  anybody  as  a 
very  cruel  compulsion. 

It  is  the  same  with  a  little  erudition  that  is  as  easy 
as  necessary  to  acquire,  being  complementary  to  these 
instructive  attendances,  this  is  that  of  the  History  of 
Music.  To  hear  a  composer  without  knowing  at  what 
epoch  he  lived,  or  what  kind  of  man  he  was,  or  to  what 
school  he  belonged,  or  what  are  his  principal  pro- 
ductions is  to  expose  ourselves  to  deplorable  contempt, 
ridiculous  even  with  respect  to  ourselves,  and  of  a 
nature  to  warp  all  equitable  judgment. 

Now,  in  a  few  evenings  devoted  to  reading  several 
well- written  works  on  this  subject,  a  few  memoirs,  or 
collected  biographies  of  celebrated  artists,  we  shall 
[272] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY    FOR   COMPOSERS 

quickly  come  to  possess  this  knowledge,  or  complete 
it,  if  already  in  prior  studies  we  have  had  the  oppor- 
tunity to  dip  into  it.  I  intentionally  said  several 
works  instead  of  one  work,  because  in  the  majority  of 
cases  they  are  blemished  with  partiality  or  inexact- 
nesses, and  they  will  serve  to  correct  one  another  if  we 
read  several. 

III.  ORCHESTRATION  AND  INSTRUMENTATION 

Now  I  want  to  speak  of  an  entirely  different  kind 
of  study  which  also  is  full  of  attraction,  because  it  is 
by  its  very  nature  exceedingly  varied  and  because  it 
is  only  superficial,  unlike  all  those  of  which  we  have 
had  to  speak  hitherto ;  also  because  it  is  a  preparatory 
step  towards  the  most  seductive  study  of  all,  Orches- 
tration, whose  turn  will  soon  come.  It  is  the  question 
of  acquiring  a  simply  summary  knowledge  of  the 
management  of  one  of  the  instruments  belonging  to 
each  of  the  three  principal  groups  of  the  orchestra : 
strings,  wood  and  brass.  He  who,  during  the  time 
that  his  studies  of  Harmony,  Counterpoint  and  Fugue 
last,  manages  to  spare  one  hour  a  day  to  study  a 
stringed  instrument  the  first  year,  a  wood-wind  instru- 
ment the  second  year,  and  a  brass  instrument  the 
third  year,  even  though  he  totally  abandons  them  one 
after  the  other,  will  have  scarcely  anything  more  to 
learn  in  the  matter  of  instrumentation.  By  this  sim- 
ple course,  he  will  have  acquired  an  incomparable 
mastery,  for,  by  each  instrument  that  he  will  have  thus 
practised,  he  will  have  quite  a  sufficient  knowledge  of 
others  of  the  same  family ;  and,  by  the  union  of  the 
[  273  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

three,  the  whole  orchestra.  And,  I  repeat,  one  hour  a 
day  for  three  years  is  sufficient  for  the  realization  of 
this  ideal,  which  seems  prodigious:  the  possession  of 
complete  knowledge  of  all  the  organs  of  the  orchestra. 

One  instrument  or  another,  it  appears  to  me  a  mat- 
ter of  indifference  which,  should  be  chosen  from  each 
group ;  however,  in  preference,  I  should  take  the  Vio- 
loncello, the  Clarinet  and  the  Horn.  The  Violoncello, 
because  it  seems  to  me  a  little  less  irritating  to  the 
nerves  during  the  first  months  of  study,  in  which  we 
necessarily  play  somewhat  out  of  tune ;  the  Clarinet, 
because  of  its  diverse  registers  so  clearly  cut;  the 
Horn,  because  incontestably  it  is  the  noblest  of  the 
family,  and  also  because  of  the  stopped  tones  that  are 
peculiar  to  it.  If  it  is  easier  to  find  teachers  for  the 
violin,  flute  and  trumpet,  I  see  no  great  objection 
in  that,  but  the  neighbours  will  be  somewhat  more  to 
be  pitied. 

It  is  necessary  that  the  teacher  should  fully  under- 
stand what  we  want,  and  that  he  should  give  his  les- 
sons quite  differently  from  the  way  he  would  if  it  were 
a  matter  of  forming  a  virtuoso;  that  what  is  demanded 
of  him  is  much  less  learning  to  play  the  instrument 
than  explaining  how  it  is  played ;  and  especially  keep 
in  mind  that  by  reason  of  the  general  programme  of 
studies  that  we  have  adopted,  we  cannot  devote  more 
than  about  a  year  to  it. 

In  one  year  of  the  violin  or  violoncello,  a  pupil  of 

open  intelligence  may  easily  gain  a  knowledge  of  the 

following:    the    fingering    of    the    scales    and    usual 

arpeggios,   of   double   chords,   triple   and   quadruple 

[274] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

chords,  the  manner  of  producing  the  natural  and  ar- 
tificial harmonics,  and  above  all,  which  is  of  the  most 
importance,  the  various  effects  that  result  from  the 
variety  of  bowing.  He  will  execute  all  this  clumsily 
and  awkwardly,  but  that  matters  little,  he  will  know 
how  to  distinguish  between  what  is  possible,  easy,  dif- 
ficult and  impossible ;  that  is  all  that  he  needs.  In 
a  year  of  the  clarinet,  he  will  be  able  to  know  the 
embouchure,  the  tablature  and  the  various  fingering 
of  all  the  notes,  the  timbre  of  the  three  registers,  and 
the  most  familiar  features. — In  a  year  of  the  French 
horn,  he  will  know  how  the  natural  and  stopped  tones 
are  produced,  and  here  again  if  he  succeeds  only  in 
sounding  them  with  difficulty,  taking  lots  of  time 
for  it,  he  will  be  able  to  form  an  exact  idea  of  the 
working  of  the  brass  instruments,  and  what  can  be 
demanded  of  them.  A  few  lessons  may  be  devoted  to 
the  valve  horn,  to  complement  this. 

All  this  can  be  easily  done  during  the  course  of  the 
Counterpoint  and  Fugue  studies,  for  they  are  not  so 
pleasing  as  that  of  Harmony ;  instead  of  four  hours, 
two  wjll  suffice  when  well  employed ;  here  especially  it 
is  advisable  to  apply  the  Latin  adage:  Festina  lente, 
make  haste  slowly. 

Therefore,  one  of  the  two  hours  taken  from  the 
writing  work  may  be  utilized  for  this  summary  study 
of  the  instruments.  One  is  left  over;  what  shall  we 
do  with  it?  Employ  it  in  the  way  that  is  the  most 
interesting  to  him  who  is  already  initiated  into  the 
history  of  music  by  his  reading.  Take  any  author 
whatsoever,  according  to  our  own  individual  syrnpa- 
[275] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

thies,  and  decipher  all  his  works  that  we  can  procure, 
chronologically,  beginning  with  the  first,  so  as  to  fol- 
low him  step  by  step  and  see  him  develop  as  we  are 
trying  to  develop  ourselves.  After  him,  take  another 
and  then  another,  as  many  as  are  desired,  at  the  same 
time,  if  possible,  reading  their  biographies  again 
(there  are  some  who  have  left  autobiographies,  or 
memoirs),  and  trying  to  become  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  epoch  at  which  such  or  such  a  work 
was  written,  and  under  what  influence,  etc. 

Here,  as  everywhere,  the  study  of  the  great  classics 
is  always  the  best  and  most  important,  and  should 
come  first;  but  that  does  not  mean  to  say  that  we 
should  neglect  the  moderns  and  our  contemporaries; 
that  would  be  a  grave  fault,  a  veritable  gap  in  our 
education.  In  the  material  impossibility,  for  lack  of 
time,  of  studying  them  all  one  after  the  other,  it  is 
better  to  select  a  few,  those  towards  whom  we  are  most 
strongly  attracted,  and  make  their  intimate  acquaint- 
ance, rather  than  to  scatter  our  forces  by  fluttering 
through  a  large  number. 

(In  order  really  to  have  an  intimate  and  complete 
knowledge  of  a  composer,  we  must  read  him  through 
three  times  with  constantly  sustained  attention :  the 
first  time,  from  end  to  end  in  the  order  in  which  the 
works  were  produced;  the  second,  by  categories: 
symphonic,  theatrical,  religious,  vocal  and  instru- 
mental,— still  chronologically  in  each  category ;  the 
third  time,  paying  attention  only  to  the  culminating 
points  and  the  great  masterpieces,  and  submitting 
them  to  profound  study. 

[276] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY    FOR   COMPOSERS 

If  we  wanted  to  apply  such  a  process  of  investiga- 
tion to  Bach,  Haydn,  or  Beethoven,  it  would  absorb 
a  man's  lifetime.  We  indicate  without  advising  it, 
for  it  would  indeed  be  too  absorbing,  and  only  for  the 
reason  of  showing  how  less  profound  studies  may  be 
conducted,  while  keeping  the  same  methodical  prin- 
ciple as  a  base,  or  attacking  less  prolific  producers. 

By  this,  we  especially  mean  to  say  that  no  one  can 
truly  feel  convinced  that  he  knows  a  man  of  genius 
to  the  depths  unless  he  has  followed  the  march  of  his 
development  and  studied  his  masterpieces  down  to 
their  smallest  details.) 

It  is  by  reading  much  good  music  in  this  way  and 
by  bringing  the  spirit  of  analysis  and  observation  to 
this  reading,  that  we  most  surely  come  to  be  imbued 
with  the  importance  of  form,  as  well  as  to  know  the 
musical  forms,  the  scope  and  the  normal  proportions 
to  give  to  a  work  of  any  kind  whatsoever,  as  they 
have  been  established  by  the  great  classic  or  romantic 
masters,  either  by  the  aid  of  long  gropings,  or  the 
powerful  deductions  of  their  logical  genius.  It  will 
be  observed  that  these  forms,  which  vary  within  wide 
limits  according  to  the  periods,  schools  and  styles, 
and  also  in  accordance  with  the  fancy  of  each  com- 
poser, which  never  loses  its  rights,  all  have  a  firm, 
fixed  and  immutable  course,  which  is  characteristic 
of  them,  and,  together  with  this,  a  suppleness  and 
elasticity  in  their  proportions  that  relieve  them  of  all 
pedagogic  rigidity  and  give  free  rein  to  the  imagi- 
nation. 

The  art  of  form,  which  is  of  considerable  im- 
[277] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

portance  with  regard  to  composition,  is  the  art  of  har- 
monious proportions,  it  is  the  harmony  of  form  as  un- 
derstood in  architecture. 

Its  importance  makes  itself  felt  in  every  detail  as 
in  the  whole,  from  the  structure  of  a  simple  motive 
to  the  largest  divisions  of  a  long-winded  work.  "  It 
is  not  a  composer's  caprice  that  has  established  the 
different  forms  and  aesthetic  exigencies :  thus  it  is  that 
you  cannot  change  the  forms  of  the  Sonata  without 
making  it  simply  a  thing  of  fancy, — something  that 
will  be  neither  a  Symphony,  a  Sonata,  nor  a  Concerto. 
In  its  elementary  laws,  architecture  is  the  art  that  ap- 
proaches most  closely  to  music.  Can  anybody  rep- 
resent to  himself  a  house,  a  church,  or  any  edifice 
whatever  without  a  fixed  form?  Can  anyone  imagine 
an  edifice  the  f a£adc  of  which  would  be  that  of  a 
church,  the  other  face  that  of  a  pavilion,  and  the  sides 
those  of  a  railway  station  and  a  factory?  "  * 

A  musical  work  can  no  more  do  without  logical  di- 
mension and  equilibrium  than  a  speech  or  a  poetical 
work  can.  The  poets  have  their  forms:  the  Sonnet, 
Madrigal,  Ballade,  Ode,  Meditation,  Stanzas, 
Strophes,  Couplets,  etc.,  are  also  poetical  forms. 
Musicians  also  have  theirs,  a  complete  list  of  which  we 
have  no  room  to  enumerate  here,  but  in  which  we  rec- 
ognize as  principal  and  typical:  Melody,  Romance, 
Air,  Glee,  Lied,  Chanson,  Canzonetta,  Recitative, 
Fugue,  Symphony,  Sonata,  Concerto  (these  last  three 
are  closely  related),  Overture,  Marches  of  various 
characters,  Dance  or  Ballet  airs,  etc.  Without  form, 
*  A.  Rubinstein,  La  musique  et  ses  reprdsentants. 

[278] 


STUDIES  NECESSARY  FOR  COMPOSERS 

the  work  lacks  homogeneity ;  genius  must  learn  to 
submit  to  it;  it  is  the  duty  of  talent  to  use  its  re- 
straint, at  the  same  time  introducing  the  other  indis- 
pensable element,  variety. 

"  Variety  in  unity  "  is  the  formula  of  the  work  of 
art,  whatever  it  may  be;  now,  unity  cannot  be  ob- 
tained without  respect  for  form,  which  is  not  a  con- 
straint, but  a  support  of  the  idea : 

"  It  is  nothing  without  the  mind,  it  is  everything 
with  the  idea."  * 

Form  is  the  scaffolding,  the  skeleton,  of  all  musical 
construction ;  if  we  do  not  see  it,  we  must  feel  it,  as 
we  feel  the  anatomy  in  painting  and  sculpture,  the 
body  beneath  the  folds  of  the  vesture,  and  the  skeleton 
under  the  flesh.  Those  musicians  who  treat  this 
branch  of  their  studies  lightly  never  produce  anything 
but  desultory  works,  disconnected,  vague,  forceless, 
lacking  in  cohesion  and  good  form. 

When  we  have  successfully  carried  through  all  these 
studies,  that  are  so  truly  attractive  and  full  of  va- 
riety, the  rhetoric  and  philosophy  of  music,  we  may 
begin  to  recognize  in  ourselves  a  certain  amount  of 
erudition,  to  be  conscious  that  we  know  something, 
which  is  far  from  unpleasant. 

Now  then,  when  the  time  has  arrived  when  we  are 
capable  of  writing  a  Fugue  in  four  parts  in  a  satis- 
factory manner,  we  may,  while  still  continuing  to 
practise  this  admirable  exercise,  begin  to  occupy  our- 
selves a  little  with  Instrumentation  and  Orchestration, 
*  Victor  Hugo. 

[279] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

which  constitutes  a  fresh  interlacing  of  the  studies, 
and  consequently  enables  us  to  gain  time. 

To  a  large  extent,  the  two  words  Instrumentation 
and  Orchestration  are  synonymous.  There  is  a  shade 
of  difference,  however.  Properly  speaking,  Instru- 
mentation is  the  personal  knowledge  of  each  instru- 
ment considered  individually,  that  is  to  say,  of  all  that 
we  can  reasonably  ask  of  it  and  of  all  the  effects  that 
we  can  obtain  from  it.  Orchestration  is  the  art  of 
grouping  them,  playing  with  them,  obtaining  timbres 
of  infinite  variety  from  their  inexhaustible  combina- 
tions, and  mixing  them  with  one  another  as  a  painter 
mixes  the  colours  of  his  palette. 

Instrumentation  is  a  science;  Orchestration  is  an 
art. 

How  do  we  learn  Instrumentation?  First,  from  the 
special  treatises;  next,  by  reading  methods  of  instru- 
ments, above  all  by  having  a  finger  in  the  pie  and 
trying  to  play  some  of  them ;  largely  also  by  reading 
things  that  are  well  written  and  observing  how  those 
masters  who  are  most  learned  in  the  matter  have 
treated  each  member  of  the  orchestra,  the  specific  ef- 
forts that  they  have  demanded  of  it,  and  the  form  and 
nature  of  the  features  that  are  easiest  or  most  familiar 
to  it.  Like  all  other  sciences,  it  is  acquired  by  read- 
ing, observation  and  experiment. 

How  do  we  learn  Orchestration?  By  orches- 
trating. 

"  The  orchestration  of  a  piece  of  music  is  like  the 
painting  of  a  picture ;  the  combination  of  the  instru- 
ments is  like  the  mixing  of  colours  according  to  the 
[280] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR  COMPOSERS 

tint  we  wish  to  obtain.     Moreover,  there  is  also  light 
and  shadow  in  instrumentation."  * 

The  simplest  exercise  consists  in  taking  a  good 
arrangement  for  the  piano,  for  two  or  four  hands, 
of  an  Overture  or  part  of  Symphony,  go  and  hear  it 
given  by  an  orchestra,  swiftly  noting  as  well  as  we 
can  with  eyes  as  well  as  ears  to  which  instrument  the 
composer  has  confided  such  and  such  a  passage,  song 
phrase,  feature,  etc.,  and  afterwards  try  to  re-orches- 
trate the  same  piece  in  the  same  way.  When  this  work 
is  finished  and  we  confront  it  with  the  original  score, 
we  shall  be  prodigiously  astonished.  It  will  scarcely 
resemble  it  at  all.  Then,  by  comparing  the  two  texts, 
that  of  the  composer  and  our  own,  note  by  note, 
part  by  part,  seeking  in  all  the  smallest  details  the 
cause  of  the  superiority  of  one  over  the  other  (note 
that  I  have  the  politeness  not  to  say  which),  we  shall 
be  giving  ourselves  the  best  and  most  profitable  lesson 
possible  in  Orchestration. 

After  having  repeated  this  experiment  several 
times,  and  having  attained  an  almost  satisfactory  re- 
construction of  it,  we  may,  indeed  we  ought  to,  in- 
crease the  difficulty  by  not  hearing  it  before  the 
orchestra  plays  it,  and,  with  no  other  guide  than  the 
musical  sentiment,  try  to  divine  the  timbres  that  the 
author  must  have  desired.  And  we  shall  always  com- 
pare it  with  the  score  afterwards. 

The  inverse  exercise  may  also  be  recommended: 
that  is  to  take  an  orchestral  score  and  make  a  faithful 
and  respectful  transcription  of  it  for  the  piano,  for 

*  Rubinstein. 
19  [  281  1 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

two  or  four  hands,  or  for  two  pianos,  or  even  for  a 
small  number  of  instruments  selected  for  this  purpose. 
This  work  of  transcription,  that  is  analogous  to  that 
of  an  engraver  reproducing  a  picture,  who,  being 
unable  to  render  the  colours,  nevertheless  causes  the 
gradations  of  tint  to  be  divined  by  relative  values, 
obliges  the  pupil  to  delve  to  the  depths  of  the  orches- 
tration, no  detail  of  which  can  escape  him.  This  is 
therefore  very  instructive. 

This  is  one  of  the  rare  branches  of  musical  knowl- 
edge that  we  can  study  alone,  by  observation  and  com- 
parison. If,  however,  we  can  have  the  advice  of  a 
talented  composer,  expert  in  the  matter,  this  does  not 
stand  in  the  way  of  our  taking  advantage  of  it  with 
the  greatest  eagerness. 

Treatises  of  Orchestration  also  exist,  and  we  ought 
to  read  them  so  much  the  more  since  they  are  almost 
all  written  by  men  of  indisputable  ability.  In  them 
we  shall  learn  the  theory  of  Orchestration  and  see  the 
processes  employed  by  the  masters  analyzed  and  ex- 
plained ;  and  this  reading  will  complete  the  instruction 
already  acquired  by  frequent  symphonic  concerts,  etc. 
It  is  now  more  than  ever  that  we  must  not  go  to  the 
concert  without  being  provided  with  as  many  scores 
as  we  can  carry  with  the  aid  of  a  few  devoted  friends ; 
for  now  that  we  have  submitted  to  all  the  initiations, 
there  is  no  reason  that  anything  should  remain  hidden 
from  us.  And  if  we  understand  everything,  every- 
thing becomes  a  subject  of  study. 

The  ideal  lesson  for  this  art  that  is  so  subtle  and  so 
delicate,  the  veritable  musical  colouring,  would  be  to 
[282] 


STUDIES  NECESSARY  FOR  COMPOSERS 

hear  our  own  essays  in  a  concert  hall,  so  as  to  judge 
of  the  effect  for  ourselves,  just  as  the  painter  steps 
back  to  examine  his  painting.  Some  very  rich  ama- 
teurs, or  a  few  rare  young  artists  whose  friends  sup- 
ply them  with  the  services  of  the  leader  of  an  orches- 
tra, alone  can  afford  this  Oriental  luxury  or  obtain 
such  a  favour  at  rare  intervals:  the  palette  of  living 
colours,  which  a  symphonic  orchestra  is,  cannot  be 
procured  cheap.  Nevertheless,  we  manage  to  orches- 
trate fairly  well  even  if  not  learnedly  and  with  all  the 
delicacy  desirable,  by  the  spirit  of  observation  and 
being  present  not  only  at  performances,  but  perhaps 
still  more  even  at  partial  rehearsals,  .where  an  able 
leader  makes  the  various  groups  play  separately  be- 
fore uniting  them,  thus  dissecting  the  score,  so  to 
speak.  For  the  sake  of  gaining  practice,  it  is  even 
more  advantageous  to  go  personally  into  the  orches- 
tra and  form  a  part  of  it.  It  is  rare  that  a  musician 
of  the  orchestra  who  does  not  consider  his  functions 
too  much  in  the  light  of  a  business  does  not,  by  sim- 
ple routine,  become  capable  himself  of  orchestrating 
in  a  perfectly  logical  manner.  So  if  we  have  sufficient 
grasp  of  the  mechanism  of  an  instrument,  we  may  con- 
sider it  very  instructive  to  take  a  part,  even  if  it  is 
only  as  a  supernumera'ry  amateur,  in  a  good  concert 
or  theatre  orchestra.  There  we  shall  even  learn  se- 
crets, feats  and  tricks,  that  neither  treatises  nor  pro- 
fessors can  teach;  and  if  some  day  we  ourselves  are 
called  to  lead  an  orchestra,  we  shall  highly  ap- 
preciate having  learned  to  obey  before  having  to 
command. 

[283] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

To  play  the  kettle-drum  really  well  requires  a  con- 
summate musician,  as  do  all  the  instruments  of  the 
battery  (this  is  the  name  given  to  the  group  of  per- 
cussion instruments :  timbales,  big  drums,  cymbals, 
triangles  and  other  drums),  by  reason  of  the  respon- 
sibility incumbent  upon  them.  A  drum-beat  given  out 
of  place  may  throw  the  entire  orchestra  into  con- 
fusion. All  these  percussion  instruments  may  be 
learned  in  the  space  of  a  few  days  or  a  few  minutes, 
so  if  we  are  not  sufficiently  skilful  on  the  violin  or 
oboe,  we  can  always  solicit  one  of  these  posts  of  con- 
fidence, we  are  sure  to  find  our  candidature  well  re- 
ceived by  any  orchestral  leader  if  we  present  our- 
selves to  him  as  a  harmonist  or  fuguist.  I  should 
astonish  many  people  by  citing  here  all  the  great 
composers  who  for  many  years  have  held  the  posts 
of  drummers  in  the  great  theatres  of  Paris  and  in  the 
Societe  des  Concerts  alone,  and  have  owed  partly  to 
this  the  development  of  their  talents  in  the  art  of 
Instrumentation  and  Orchestration.  It  is  also  by  par- 
ticipating in  symphonic  performances  that  we  best 
learn  the  art  of  directing,  communicating  our  will, 
and  making  ourselves  understood  by  almost  imper- 
ceptible gestures.  A  case  may  happen  when  a  leader, 
either  to  go  to  the  back  of  the  hall  to  judge  of  an 
effect,  or  to  make  separate  groups  rehearse  sepa- 
rately, will  be  disposed  to  yield  his  baton  for  a  moment 
to  a  member  of  the  orchestra  whom  he  considers  a 
solid  musician.  Such  opportunities  should  be  seized 
with  the  greatest  eagerness,  as  also  others  of  directing 
private  rehearsals  of  amateur  choirs  or  little  orches- 
[284] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

tras.  In  a  word,  never  allow  an  opportunity  to  es- 
cape of  having  a  finger  in  the  pie,  and  being  an  active 
musician  in  some  way  or  other. 

"And  how  about  composition?"  I  shall  be  asked, 
"  it  has  not  yet  entered  into  discussion.  When  shall 
we  speak  about  it?  " 

We  shall  never  speak  of  it,  with  your  kind  per- 
mission, because  it  would  be  absolutely  useless  after 
what  we  have  said. 

If  he  who,  according  to  our  advice,  has  gone 
through  solid  literary,  scientific  and  philosophical 
studies,  has  devoted  himself  to  the  serious  reading 
of  poets  and  prose  writers,  has  frequented  the  mu- 
seums, learning  there  to  admire  painters,  sculptors 
and  architects,  has  lived  in  an  intellectual  and  artistic 
atmosphere,  has  travelled,  seen  and  studied  the 
beauties  of  nature  and  the  civilization  of  various 
countries,  has  studied  history,  mythology,  a  little 
Latin,  acoustics  and  the  history  of  music,  has  pushed 
to  the  utmost  his  studies  of  solfeggio,  piano,  har- 
mony, counterpoint,  fugue,  score-reading,  musical 
analysis  and  orchestration,  has  dipped  into  those  of 
the  violoncello,  clarinet  and  horn,  has  intelligently  at- 
tended lots  of  concerts  and  lyric  and  dramatic  theat- 
rical performances,  has  been  nourished  with  the  sap  of 
the  masters, — I  say  if  he  is  not  yet  ripe  for  compos- 
ing, it  is  because  he  really  lacks  the  aptitude,  and  he 
will  do  well  to  renounce  it.  But  then  what  is  he  going 
to  do  in  that  quandary  ? 

He  will  not  be  in  that  condition,  and  there  is  no 
1285] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

need  to  fear  it.  On  the  contrary,  this  is  what  is  very 
likely  to  have  happened,  without  my  having  had,  or 
anybody  else,  any  need  to  advise  him :  Almost  at  the 
beginning  of  his  studies,  if  not  before,  the  youth  will 
have  caught  the  plague  of  composition,  and  will  have 
composed,  perhaps  even  in  secret  if  he  is  of  a  timid 
nature,  «r  he  will  have  shown  his  attempts  to  his  mas- 
ters, in  which  he  will  have  been  quite  right.  In  fact, 
these  first  attempts,  whatever  they  may  be,  should  al- 
ways be  encouraged,  on  condition  that  they  consist 
only  of  short  pieces,  of  such  importance  as  a  Minuet, 
a  Song  without  Words,  or  a  little  melody  on  a  poetic 
text,  and  that  they  do  not  encroach  upon  the  time 
normally  devoted  to  his  studies,  which  must  come  be- 
fore everything. 

More  than  this,  these  essays  must  be  dated  and  pre- 
served so  that  they  may  serve  as  a  type  for  comparison 
later  on  so  as  to  show  his  progress  and  intellectual  de- 
velopment. And  he  must  continue  thus  throughout 
his  labours  in  Harmony,  Fugue  and  Orchestration, 
producing  little  short  and  unpretentious  pieces,  as 
many  as  he  likes,  provided  this  does  not  interfere  in 
the  least  with  his  regular  daily  studies,  and  does  not 
take  him  away  from  them  for  a  moment. 

We  may  thus  take  the  first  eight  or  ten  bars  of 
some  work  of  a  master  and  exercise  ourselves  in  de- 
veloping them  and  altering  their  character  while  pre- 
serving as  far  as  possible  throughout  the  piece,  the 
style  and  go  of  the  opening.  This  is  a  very  fine  ex- 
ercise, both  amusing  and  instructive,  and  one  that 
may  be  varied  in  many  ways  that  are  easy  t:>  imagine. 
[286] 


STUDIES    NECESSARY    FOR    COMPOSERS 

Then  at  length,  a  moment  will  arrive  when,  having 
acquired  his  whole  outfit  piece  by  piece,  having, 
moreover,  learned  by  assiduously  reading  the  great 
masters,  the  form  and  structure  of  a  Sonata,  a  Sym- 
phony, or  an  Oratorio,  which  are  classical  forms,  also 
the  more  modern  forms  of  the  Opera,  the  Lyrical 
Tragedy  and  the  Symphonic  Poem,  he  will  feel  him- 
self armed  for  dashing  into  the  domain  of  grand  com- 
position and  there  fly  with  his  own  wings,  inventing 
in  his  turn.  On  that  thrice  happy  day,  Composition 
will  become  his  one  and  only  study,  in  which  all  the 
others  will  be  merged,  as  well  as  all  the  annex  species 
of  knowledge  so  laboriously  but  how  pleasantly  ac- 
quired. There  will  no  longer  be  any  reasons  for  lim- 
iting himself  to  little  works  of  trifling  expanse,  on 
the  contrary,  he  will  be  able  to  enlarge  his  frame  day 
to  day,  give  way  to  his  inspiration  (always  assuming 
that  he  has  one)  and  to  all  his  caprices,  being  certain 
that  the  talent  is  there  to  maintain  it,  if  necessary  in 
its  wanderings  and  illicit  overflowings,  and  to  make  it 
return  to  the  right  road  by  talking  to  it  in  the  lan- 
guage of  reason.  He  will  have  that  happy  feeling 
that  he  has  acquired  the  mastery  of  his  art,  that  he 
has  penetrated  all  its  processes,  that  none  of  its  secrets 
is  hidden  from  him,  and  that  now  every  audacity  is 
allowed  him.  With  this  sentiment,  another  will 
mingle,  another  no  less  noble,  still  more  elevated  and 
above  all  more  fertile,  which  is  that  when  we  know  all 
we  know  nothing  yet,  that  all  this  is  only  a  preamble, 
and  that  it  is  only  beginning  with  the  day  when  all 
the  materials  are  collected  at  the  base  of  the  work, 
[287] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

classified,  numbered  and  ticketed,  that  the  edifice  com- 
mences to  rise  from  the  ground. 

It  is  here  then  that  the  real  studies  of  the  composer 
begin,  since  henceforward  he  has  under  his  hand 
everything  that  he  requires  in  order  to  become  his 
own  and  sole  master.  Henceforth,  it  belongs  to  him 
alone  to  decide  how  he  shall  train  the  branches  of  the 
tree  the  roots  of  which  we  have  assisted  him  to  plant 
solidly,  to  choose  the  school  under  whose  banner  he 
will  be  glad  to  range  himself  (for  he  must  always 
belong  to  one  school,  or  at  least  attach  himself  to  one 
before  thinking  of  becoming  the  head  of  a  school  of 
his  own),  to  judge  which  of  the  bases  of  his  erudition 
are  those  that  lack  solidity  and  that  it  is  desirable  to 
strengthen  or  to  select  as  a  foundation. 

Like  a  veritable  Wandering  Jew,  he  will  always 
have  to  march  onwards  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Beau- 
tiful, ever  to  study  and  ever  to  seek.  But  the  condi- 
tions are  changed,  and  it  will  be  hardly  possible  any 
longer  for  him  to  assign  a  precise  and  invariable  hour 
every  day  for  every  kind  of  work  as  formerly.  The 
idea  is  capricious,  we  must  take  it  when  it  is  willing 
to  come.  One  day,  we  shall  not  do  anything;  the 
next,  we  shall  work  every  hour.  We  shall  have  long 
periods  without  the  shadow  of  an  inspiration;  and 
then  suddenly  our  ideas  will  be  in  a  state  of  ebullition. 
This,  at  least,  is  what  we  have  always  heard  people 
say! 


IV.  HABITS  OF  GREAT  COMPOSERS 

Certainly  there  is  a  portion  of  truth  in  this :  a  man 
is  not  equally  disposed  to  compose  at  all  times ;  but 
it  is  wholly  and  rigorously  true  only  for  lazy  and 
listless  minds;  the  others  know  how  to  help  them- 
selves, to  solicit  Inspiration  and  force  her  to  col- 
laborate with  them  when  it  pleases  them.  Ah !  upon 
my  word,  when  we  hold  her,  the  vixen,  we  must  not 
let  her  escape;  we  must  seize  her  by  the  hair,  shut 
ourselves  in  with  her,  refuse  to  open  the  door  to  our 
best  friends  and  force  her  to  empty  her  sack  to  the 
bottom.  What  proves  clearly,  I  repeat,  that  we  can 
compel  our  Muse  to  pay  her  visits  at  fixed  hours,  is, 
the  fact  is  notorious  that  many  great  artists  have 
their  favourite  hours  for  composing,  which  most  often 
are  forced  upon  them  by  the  exigencies  of  their  lives, 
as  well  as  by  their  domestic  conditions.  Some  are  of 
the  morning,  others  of  the  evening,  as  indeed  are 
nearly  all  the  workers  in  ideas :  a  few  are  of  the  after- 
noon ;  indeed,  everyone  has  his  own  manner  of  work- 
ing. 

Haydn  was  a  very  early  riser,  and  yet  he  never 
worked  except  in  full  dress,  in  which  he  was  like 
Buffon ;  he  began  by  shaving  himself  carefully,  pow- 
dered himself  and  put  on  his  finger  a  certain  ring,  a 
sapphire,  I  believe,  surrounded  with  brilliants,  which 
had  been  given  to  him  by  the  great  Frederick,  unless 
it  was  Prince  Esterhazy;  that  done,  he  shut  himself 
up  in  a  quiet  room  and  wrote  for  several  consecutive 
hours,  five  or  six,  without  stopping. 
[289] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Mozart,  the  gentle  and  pious  Mozart,  was  some- 
times less  particular,  and  composed  a  little  everywhere, 
and  under  all  conditions.  "  When  I  feel  well  dis- 
posed, in  good  humour  and  given  up  to  myself  alto- 
gether, when  I  am  alone  and  have  a  calm  and  satisfied 
mind,  as,  for  instance,  when  I  am  travelling  in  a  good 
carriage,  or  taking  a  stroll  after  a  good  meal,  or  in 
bed  at  night  without  heing  asleep,  then  it  is  that 
ideas  come  to  me  and  throng  into  my  mind.  Those 
that  please  me,  I  retain,  and  even  hum ;  at  least,  so 
others  have  told  me.  It  seems  to  me  impossible  to 
say  whence  they  come  to  me  and  how  they  arrive; 
what  is  certain  is  that  I  cannot  make  them  come  when 
I  wish."  *  Happily  they  came  often  enough  without 
that,  and  pursued  him  even  into  the  restaurants  of 
Vienna,  Prague  and  Munich,  where  he  was  very  fond 
of  playing  billiards  and  smoking  a  pipe,  and  compos- 
ing in  his  head. 

Rossini,  I  can  personally  testify,  composed  almost 
constantly  and  in  all  ways,  rarely  at  the  piano,  most 
often  in  the  evening  or  at  night,  and  like  Mozart, 
often  found  inspiration  in  a  carriage  or  post-chaise. 
In  the  irregular  joltings  of  these  vehicles,  he  per- 
ceived rhythm,  and  of  these  rhythms,  melodies  were 
born.  There  is  no  doubt  that  he  would  have  found 
them  in  the  trepidation  of  the  railroad,  if  he  had 
dared  to  try ;  but  he  had  such  a  dread  of  this  mode  of 
locomotion  that  no  one  was  ever  able  to  induce  him 
to  set  foot  in  a  car.  Who  knows  whether  the  auto- 
mobile may  not  become  a  new  source  of  inspiration? 
*  Mozart,  Correspondence. 

[290] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY    FOR   COMPOSERS 

Handel,  the  man  of  mighty  conceptions,  was  far 
from  despising  the  support  of  a  bottle  of  very  good 
wine. 

Gluck  preferred  champagne,  and  composed  vio- 
lently gesticulating,  walking  up  and  down,  and  act- 
ing all  his  characters,  often  in  the  open  air,  on  the 
lawn,  in  a  garden. 

Beethoven  also  undoubtedly  found  a  powerful  aux- 
iliary to  inspiration  in  motion  and  walking.  What- 
ever the  season,  every  day  after  dinner,  which  was  at 
one  o'clock,  according  to  the  Viennese  custom,  he  set 
out  for  a  walk,  and  with  big  strides  twice  made  the  cir- 
cuit of  the  city  of  Vienna.  Neither  cold,  nor  heat,  nor 
rain,  nor  hail  was  able  to  stop  him.  Then  it  was  that 
his  heat  of  fancy  attained  its  full  ardour.  It  would 
seem  that  the  movement  of  his  legs  was  of  service  to 
the  activity  of  his  genius.  When  he  lived  in  the  coun- 
try, he  often  walked  the  whole  day  long,  always  alone, 
and  in  the  most  rural  and  solitary  places.  "  He  com- 
posed as  he  walked  and  never  wrote  a  note  before  the 
piece  he  had  in  his  head  was  entirely  finished."  *  His 
ideas  were  slowly  and  laboriously  elaborated,  and  his 
themes,  even  those  that  presented  themselves  under 
the  simplest  and  most  natural  aspect,  were  retouched 
many  times  by  him  before  he  gave  them  their  definitive 
form,  as  we  can  see  for  ourselves  by  looking  through 
his  manuscripts  collected  in  the  house  of  his  birth  at 
Bonn ;  but  when  it  was  fixed,  the  composition  in  its 
entirety  was  grasped  by  his  mighty  intelligence.  He 
was  therefore  abstracted  to  an  extraordinary  degree. 
*  Fetis,  Biographie  Universelle  des  musiciens. 

[291] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

He  would  enter  a  restaurant,  sit  down  for  an  instant 
and  ask  the  stupefied  waiter  for  the  bill,  without  hav- 
ing ordered  anything.  His  clumsiness  was  prodigious, 
"  he  usually  broke  everything  he  touched,  not  a  single 
piece  of  furniture  in  his  house,  and  any  article  of 
value  less  than  anything  else,  was  safe  from  his  at- 
tacks, and  many  times  his  ink-pot  fell  into  the  piano 
by  which  he  was  working,"  *  which,  religiously  pre- 
served in  the  museum  of  Bonn,  still  retains  its  indelible 
traces.  Although  he  had  always  lived  in  the  midst  of 
the  high  Viennese  aristocracy,  in  which  drawing-room 
dances  were  held  in  high  honour,  "  he  never  succeeded 
in  dancing  in  time."  f 

Herold  composed  while  walking,  humming  or  sing- 
ing, often  in  the  Champs-Elysees  and  invariably 
passed  his  best  friends  by  without  recognizing 
them. 

Gounod  composed  especially  at  the  table,  or,  at 
least,  in  his  head ;  when  he  wrote,  everything  was  ab- 
solutely clear  in  his  brain ;  his  manuscripts  prove  this. 
He  always  had  a  notebook  with  him,  or  near  him,  in 
which  he  jotted  down  his  ideas  as  they  took  form  in 
his  mind.  This  he  did  under  all  circumstances,  even 
at  table.  It  does  not  appear  that  he  had  a  predilection 
for  any  special  hours,  but  it  is  certain  that  he  did  not 
work  at  night,  at  least  during  the  latter  part  of  his 
life,  but  preferably  after  dinner  and  very  early  in  the 
evening.  In  his  immense  and  imposing  work-room, 
he  had  a  grand  organ  by  Cavaille  Coll,  an  Erard 

*  W.  de  Lenz,  Beethoven  et  ses  trois  styles. 
f  Ferd.  Ries  (pupil  of  Beethoven). 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

grand  piano,  and  a  Pleyel  piano-bureau  which  often 
served  him  as  a  writing-table. 

Wagner  liked  to  write  standing  up  before  a  large 
table-desk  like  the  cash-desks  in  the  shops ;  his  scores 
were  written  without  erasures,  in  a  superb  calligraphic 
hand,  admirable  for  its  clearness  and  firmness,  and 
worthy  of  a  professional  copyist. 

Berlioz,  who  played  no  instruments  but  the  guitar, 
flute  and  flageolet,  necessarily  worked  at  the  table. 

Franck,  who  was  the  head  of  a  school,  scarcely  com- 
posed at  all  till  after  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  oc- 
cupied as  he  was  nearly  the  whole  day  by  his  lessons 
and  other  professional  duties,  and  continued  some- 
what far  into  the  night.  A  marvellous  improviser,  he 
preferred  to  work  at  the  piano ;  and,  as  if  to  get  him- 
self warmed  up,  he  always  began  by  playing  to  him- 
self several  works  by  contemporary  composers  of  his 
liking,  among  whom  often  figured  C.  V.  Alkan,  a 
musician  very  little  known  to  the  present  generation, 
but  whose  piano  works,  so  ingenious  and  solidly  con- 
structed, deserve  something  infinitely  higher  than  this 
oblivion.  He  wrote  first  on  a  double  piano  staff,  re- 
serving a  third  line  for  noting  a  few  characteristic 
orchestral  designs;  then  he  made  a  complete  rough 
draft  in  pencil,  retouched  it  minutely,  and  then  wrote 
out  the  final  score  in  ink. 

Meyerbeer  wrote  in  a  regular  manner  in  the  even- 
ing, and  his  servant  had  orders  to  drag  him  away 
from  the  piano  at  the  stroke  of  midnight. 

Schumann  would  not  admit  that  anyone  could  write 
otherwise  than  at  the  table.  He  worked  a  little  in 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  morning  and  a  little  in  the  evening,  but  he  ripened 
and  combined  his  works  for  a  long  time  before  putting 
a  note  down  on  paper,  and  tried  passages  from  them 
on  the  piano. 

Mendelssohn,  on  the  contrary,  in  his  character  as 
an  admirable  improviser,  made  much  use  of  the  piano, 
and  preferred  to  work  in  the  morning. 

Ambroise  Thomas,  when  a  bachelor,  had  a  tiny  little 
hole  drilled  in  his  door  at  the  height  of  his  eye, 
through  which  he  could  see  who  rang;  and  he  would 
hardly  open  to  anybody  except  his  collaborators  or 
his  favourite  pupils.  When  you  got  in,  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  on  his  piano,  written  in  pen- 
cil, you  always  saw  music  in  course  of  being  written, 
which  he  carefully  laid  aside  on  your  arrival.  Hence 
we  may  suppose  that  he  worked  in  the  morning,  and 
perhaps  in  the  evening  also.  This  is  all  that  I  know 
of  him  at  that  period.  In  his  ripe  manhood  and  in 
his  old  age,  he  always  carried  about  him  pads  of  ruled 
paper  on  which  he  noted  the  ideas  that  presented  them- 
selves to  his  imagination.  In  the  middle  of  a  walk, 
or  a  conversation,  or  a  repast  with  intimate  friends, 
you  saw  him  suddenly  cease  talking,  his  eyes  became 
dreamy,  and  he  took  a  little  pad  out  of  his  pocket.  As 
to  the  actual  work  of  writing,  he  liked  complete  isola- 
tion, and  much  preferred  the  night-time,  in  Paris  as 
well  as  in  the  country.  He  often  composed  in  bed, 
but  often  also  he  got  up  and  remained  at  the  piano 
for  several  hours.  An  interesting  detail  is  that  he 
never  passed  a  day  without,  on  rising  in  the  morning, 
after  a  few  exercises  of  hygienic  gymnastics,  spend- 
[294] 


STUDIES    NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

ing  an  hour  on  scales,  exercises  and  studies  always  the 
same,  by  Moscheles,  Hummel,  and  Chopin,  his  fa- 
vourite composer. 

Auber  generally  worked  at  night,  and  very  late, 
till  two  or  three  in  the  morning,  in  order  to  avoid  out- 
side noises.  His  old  servant,  Sophie,  who  looked  after 
his  linen,  did  not  like  barrel-organs ;  one  day  she  said 
to  Auber  in  my  presence :  "  I  have  a  horror  of  barrel- 
organs,  I  much  prefer  the  noise  that  you  make  at 
night  with  your  piano."  This  sally  made  M.  Auber 
laugh  heartily. 

When  the  exigencies  of  his  life  in  society  obliged 
him  to  abandon  his  work  in  the  evening,  he  got  up  at 
five  in  the  morning  and  worked  till  eleven. 

Halevy  had  a  table-piano  that  had  been  made  for 
him  by  Pleyel.  He  was  quite  willing  to  converse  as 
he  orchestrated.  From  time  to  time,  he  would  draw 
out  his  keyboard,  strike  a  few  chords  on  it,  and  then 
push  it  back  like  a  simple  drawer  and  continue  to 
write. 

Boicldieu  also  wrote  at  the  piano. 

Felicien  David,  not  being  much  of  a  pianist,  some- 
times sought  the  aid  of  his  violin. 

Adolphe  Adam  almost  always  worked  at  his  grand 
piano,  the  right-hand  side  of  whose  keyboard  was 
stained  with  innumerable  splashes  of  ink;  he  played 
eight,  ten,  or  twelve  bars,  and  then  wrote  them  down. 

Bizet  worked  especially  in  the  evening  and  still 
more  at  night ;  he  often  made  use  of  a  piano-bureau  by 
Pleyel,  like  Gounod  and  Halevy. 

Guiraud  worked  from  the  moment  he  got  up,  which 
[295] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

occurred  at  noon  at  the  earliest,  at  four  o'clock  at  the 
latest;  he  continued  till  six  o'clock,  stopped  to  dine, 
and  again  set  to  work  till  a  late  hour  of  the  night.  He 
also  made  use  of  the  piano,  but  only  as  a  check  after 
writing  at  his  table. 

Leo  Delibes  installed  his  work-table  beside  his  up- 
right piano  in  a  sufficiently  silent  and  comfortably 
padded  attic  above  his  apartment. 

Massenet  composes  only  in  the  morning,  from  five 
to  nine  o'clock,  and  at  the  table:  at  nine,  his  compo- 
sition day  is  finished! 

But  let  us  not  commit  any  indiscretions  with  re- 
gard to  illustrious  living  composers,  let  us  leave  them 
to  work  in  their  own  way. 

I  may  say  that  several  musicians  of  former  days 
had  some  strange  habits : 

Cimarosa,  for  example,  contrary  to  all  the  others, 
who  wanted  calm  and  silence,  found  a  stimulant  to  his 
ardour  in  light  and  noise. 

Paesiello  never  felt  himself  better  inspired  than 
when  buried  under  thick  coverings. 

Sarti,  it  is  said,  scarcely  ever  composed  except  in 
profound  obscurity. 

Mehul  took  pleasure  in  placing  upon  his  piano, 
facing  him,  a  death's  head,  which  leads  us  to  believe 
that  he  also  wrote  at  the  piano,  otherwise  it  would 
probably  have  been  more  agreeable  to  him  to  put  it 
on  the  table. 

I  will  not  be  responsible  for  these  last;  I  only  re- 
peat what  has  been  told  me.  Analogous  and  well- 
known  eccentricities,  however,  have  existed  among 
[296] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

many  writers  and  masters  of  speech.  Balzac  worked 
only  from  midnight  to  noon ;  Buffon,  like  Haydn,  as 
we  have  already  said,  in  court  dress,  with  lace  cuffs, 
and  powdered;  Milton  wrote  with  pleasure  only  when 
listening  to  music,  than  which  nothing  can  be  more 
disturbing ;  and  lastly,  the  great  preacher  Bourdaloue 
liked  to  play  the  violin  before  going  into  the  pulpit, 
and  was  never  more  eloquent  than  after  having  in- 
dulged in  this  enjoyment. 

As  we  have  seen,  every  master  has  his  individual  way 
of  calling  his  Muse.  If  it  is  so  with  them,  why  should 
it  not  be  the  same  for  composers  who  are  only  starting? 
Then  there  are  many  things  that  we  can  do  without 
her  immediate  help  and  without  her  constant  presence : 
all  the  material  details  of  Orchestration  that  de- 
pend more  on  talent  than  on  genius,  the  thousand 
little  retouches  that  are  only  mechanical,  and  what 
not? 

We  can  always  find  means  of  occupying  ourselves 
usefully  while  awaiting  her  arrival,  the  days  on  which 
she  is  late,  and  to  see  you  harnessed  to  work  very  often 
brings  her.  All  means  are  good ;  the  final  result  alone 
is  to  be  considered. 

The  obligation  of  composing  only  in  the  evening 
is  especially  felt  by  those  artists  who  inhabit  a  noisy 
quarter  of  a  great  city.  At  that  hour,  we  have  no 
longer  to  fear  inopportune  visits  and  annoyances  of 
every  kind ;  the  noises  outside  have  quieted  down ;  we 
feel  assured  of  our  tranquillity,  we  have  not  even  the 
fear  of  being  disturbed — that  fear  that  is  almost  as 
perturbative  as  the  disturbance  itself.  The  composer 
20  [  297  ] 


has  as  much  need  of  calm  as  the  painter  of  sunlight 
effects :  the  painter  takes  advantage  of  the  hours  that 
the  sun  is  good  enough  to  grant  him ;  the  musician 
should  know  how  to  profit  by  isolating  himself  during 
the  silent  hours,  and  drive  out  of  his  mind,  if  he  can, 
all  ideas  that  are  foreign  to  his  art,  every  cause  of 
distraction,  torment  or  care.  "  Preoccupation  is  the 
death  of  occupation,"  says  Gounod,  whose  fine 
thoughts,  always  so  profound,  cannot  be  too  much 
meditated  upon.  We  must  know  how  to  drive  it  away 
at  all  costs  and  force  ourselves  to  concentrate  our  whole 
attention  on  the  goal  to  be  attained.  It  is  perhaps 
for  this  reason  even  more  than  merely  for  the  sake  of 
destroying  the  material  noises  coming  from  outside, 
that  we  see  several  composers  (Bizet,  Guiraud,  Am- 
broise  Thomas,  Franck)  make  use  of  the  piano  as  a 
sort  of  appetizer  for  the  mind,  disengaging  the  latter 
for  a  moment  from  the  cares  of  existence,  and  thus 
putting  aside  the  causes  that  disturb  the  conception  of 
the  idea. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  works  conceived  with 
a  view  to  virtuosity,  such  as  the  Concertos,  and  the 
great  or  little  pieces  for  an  instrument  treated  in  solo, 
gain  greatly  by  being  written  when  we  have  at  hand 
the  instrument  for  which  they  are  intended,  if  we  know 
how  to  play  it.  The  composer  who  is  a  violinist  has 
no  right  to  write  a  passage  without  trying  its  effect ; 
the  composer  writing  for  the  piano  should  therefore 
naturally  like  to  put  his  piece  together  by  playing  it ; 
but  however  this  may  be,  these  should  also  be  capable 
of  composing  whatever  it  may  be  without  the  aid  of 
[  298  ] 


STUDIES  NECESSARY  FOR  COMPOSERS 

any  instrument  at  all,  if  that  is  necessary,  as  soon  as 
they  can  obtain  absolute  silence  around  them,  unless 
they  are  not  complete  artists,  but  virtuoso-composers. 
"  The  fingers  should  execute  what  the  mind  has  con- 
ceived ;  not  the  inverse.  ...  If  music  proceeds 
from  your  inner  meaning,  if  you  have  felt  it,  it  will 
have  the  same  effect  on  others."  * 

For  those,  however,  who  prefer  to  compose  at  the 
piano,  which  does  not  hinder  them  from  first  ripening 
their  ideas  by  meditation,  a  valuable  auxiliary  would 
be  a  keyboard-register,  automatically  inscribing  in 
some  manner  or  other,  but  easy  to  read  and  transcribe, 
all  that  is  confided  to  it.  Many  interesting  attempts 
in  this  direction  have  been  made  already,  and  it  may 
be  confidently  presumed  that  in  the  near  future  some- 
body will  succeed  in  creating  a  really  practical  type. 
Those  that  have  so  far  been  constructed  aim  espe- 
cially at  automatic  repetition  by  means  of  a  manual 
or  clockwork  movement,  which  gives  them  some  likeness 
to  a  mechanical  piano  (one  can  obtain  a  result  of  the 
same  nature  with  a  good  phonograph  that  docs  not 
too  greatly  disfigure  the  timbre)  ;  what  would  be  far 
more  useful  than  this  repetition  for  an  improvizing 
pianist,  is  the  more  or  less  conventional  graphic  no- 
tation of  his  idea  by  a  series  of  dots  and  dashes  traced 
on  an  endless  band  provided  with  a  staff  and  unroll- 
ing on  a  cylinder  placed  beneath  the  keyboard  while 
being  played ;  so  that  by  taking  this  band  off  the  ap- 
paratus he  can  re-read  his  entire  improvization,  which 
he  will  then  only  have  to  transcribe,  at  the  same  time 
*  Schumann. 

[299] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

adding  those  modifications  and  ameliorations  result- 
ing from  meditation. 

All  who  have  heard  Beethoven,  Mozart,  Chopin  and 
Mendelssohn  improvize  are  unanimous  in  affirming 
that  it  was  then,  when  relieved  from  the  material 
shackles  of  writing  and  given  up  to  their  whole  spon- 
taneity, that  they  were  most  moving,  and  often  quite 
different  from  what  they  were  in  the  works  over  which 
they  had  reflected.  This  will  not  astonish  anybody 
who  has  heard  any  of  the  great  organist-improvizers 
of  the  present  day  whose  instantaneous  productions 
are  sometimes  admirable,  and  superior  in  vital  inten- 
sity to  anything  that  they  could  have  written  in  the 
silence  of  the  cabinet.  Now,  it  frequently  happens 
that  young  composers  possess  such  an  organization 
that  the  slowness  of  writing  causes  them  to  lose  the 
thread  of  their  ideas,  and  that  not  having  time  to 
write  down  all  that  they  think,  they  let  part  of  it 
escape,  or  disfigure  it. 

It  is  the  same  with  them  as  with  certain  great  orators 
of  the  bar,  the  church,  or  parliament,  whose  eloquence 
never  rises  so  high  as  in  the  fire  of  improvization,  and 
who  never  find  expression  so  happy,  words  so  exact, 
metaphors  so  bold  and  appropriate,  when  they  want  to 
write  their  discourse.  For  these,  there  is  stenogra- 
phy ;  but  no  one  has  yet  found  stenography  for  music ; 
it  is  probable  even  that  this  will  never  be  found  unless 
it  is  merely  melodic,  which  might  well  be  useful,  but  it 
would  be  insufficient. 

And  since  we  have  been  led  to  speak  of  improviza- 
tion, that  individual  and  seductive  art,  let  us  say  in 
[300] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

passing  that  people  have  a  very  small  and  incomplete 
idea  of  it  when  they  imagine  that  it  consists  merely 
in  yielding  oneself  up  to  the  chance  of  inspiration, 
by  letting  the  fingers  run  and  wander  at  random  over 
the  keyboard !  Where  the  mind  does  not  work  there 
can  never  be  any  manifestation  of  art,  but  a  simple 
act  of  routine,  despicable  by  its  very  unconscionable- 
ness  and  by  its  automatism  and  one  which  does  not 
deserve  to  attract  attention. 

Never,  oh  never,  does  an  improvizer  worthy  of  the 
name  embark  without  knowing  in  advance  what  he 
wants  to  say,  what  form  as  a  whole  his  piece  will  have, 
and  a  general  plan  perfectly  skeletonized  in  its  broad 
lines.  A  few  insignificant  or  imperceptible  details  will 
alone  be  left  to  momentary  caprice,  to  spontaneity, 
to  certain  mechanical  or  unconscious  impulses,  a  sort 
of  finger  habit  which  seems  to  exclude  errors  of  style, 
and  this  is  the  very  least  that  is  left  to  chance,  if  indeed 
we  may  thus  designate  the  result  of  prodigious  ability 
and  an  inexplicable  faculty  that  has  almost  become  an 
instinct.  It  would  be  unpardonable  for  him  who 
possesses  it  not  to  cultivate  it,  since  it  demands  no  new 
study  beyond  those  that  we  have  already  indicated, 
and  since  the  special  qualities  that  it  brings  into  play 
namely,  appropriateness,  sang-froid  and  presence  of 
mind  are  those  which  are  developed  most  easily  by  fre- 
quent practice,  by  habit  and  by  will. 

When  the  question  is  one  of  improvization  or  written 
composition,  whatever  may  be  the  manner  of  compos- 
ing that  any  one  has  adopted  because  it  is  easiest  for 
him  or  conforms  best  to  his  nature,  it  must  never  be 
[301] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

forgotten  that  emotion  should  always  preside  over  the 
conception  of  every  work  of  art,  and  that  to  communi- 
cate this  emotion  to  others,  and  make  them  share  in  it, 
is  the  supreme  goal  to  which  the  truly  great  artist 
should  perpetually  tend. 

This  thought  is  marvellously  well  expressed  by  two 
strong  and  very  different  minds,  who  at  least  on  this 
point  were  in  agreement,  Lamennais  and  Victor  Cousin : 
"  If  sound  possesses  of  itself  an  expressive  power,  this 
power  should  be  applied  and  brought  into  play  by  the 
artist,  since  it  is  nothing  but  his  instrument  "  (Lamen- 
nais). "  The  problem  of  art  is  to  reach  the  soul 
through  the  body  "  (V.  Cousin)  ;  which  clearly  means 
that  to  write  music  without  the  desire  of  moving  or 
interesting  is  like  talking  without  saying  anything, 
which  is  the  most  tiresome  thing  in  the  world. 

And  this  is  true  whatever  may  be  the  nature  of  the 
work,  its  elevation  or  its  futility,  its  length  or  its  brev- 
ity, some  feeling  must  always  emanate  from  it,  and 
consequently  must  have  been  put  into  it.  Its  form  and 
importance  are  of  little  consequence:  Beethoven  is 
quite  as  moving  in  his  Sonatas  as  in  his  Symphonies ; 
Schubert  rises  to  a  touching  eloquence  in  the  shortest 
of  his  melodies,  certain  of  which  do  not  exceed  eight 
bars;  Chopin's  Nocturnes  are  true  poems,  on  the  same 
level  with  his  Ballades  and  Scherzos ;  and  Boileau's 
celebrated  verse,  "  A  faultless  sonnet  is  worth  as  much 
as  a  long  poem,"  may  be  just  as  well  applied  to  music. 

Therefore,  there  are  few  great  composers  who  have 
not  taken  delight  in  producing,  if  only  to  rest  them- 
selves after  their  more  highly  developed  works,  short 
[302] 


STUDIES    NECESSARY    FOR    COMPOSERS 

pieces,  to  which  the  conciseness  of  the  style  lends  an 
additional  charm.  Neither  should  the  student-com- 
poser disdain  them,  for  this  will  contribute  towards 
making  his  talent  more  flexible  by  teaching  him  that 
quality,  as  rare  as  it  is  precious,  of  being  able  to  ex- 
press himself  at  once  briefly  and  completely.  Perhaps 
indeed  he  will  feel  himself  led  to  adopt  for  the  gen- 
erality of  his  productions  this  more  intimate  form  in 
which  the  thought,  by  rendering  itself  precise,  becomes 
condensed,  which  makes  the  composition  more  easily 
understood  by  the  listener.  He  should  not  struggle 
against  this  inclination  and  regard  this  as  an  inferior 
kind  of  composition :  it  is  not  the  length  of  a  piece 
that  constitutes  its  beauty ;  neither  is  it  its  complica- 
tion. Far  from  that,  the  most  original  ideas,  the 
most  ingenious  and  the  most  interesting  operations 
may  often  find  a  place  in  simple  and  short  pieces. 
Beethoven  with  his  Sonatinas,  Schumann  with  his 
Album  a  la  Jeunnesse,  Mendelssohn  in  his  admirable 
Songs  without  Words,  Gade  in  his  Noel,  Bizet  in  his 
Jeux  d'enfants,  Gounod,  Massenet,  Dclibcs,  and  Schu- 
mann in  their  melodies,  the  colossal  John  Sebastian 
Bach  in  his  Inventions  in  two  or  three  parts,  and 
many  others  have  proved  this. 

Everybody  knows  the  pretty  story  of  Horace  Ver- 
net's  horse :  He  was  engaged  by  a  very  rich  English 
sportsman  to  paint  the  picture  of  a  very  beautiful 
horse  in  which  its  owner  very  justly  took  great  pride. 
He  had  the  animal  brought  to  his  yard  once,  twice — 
ten  times.  Several  weeks  later,  he  requested  the  Eng- 
lishman to  come  to  his  studio  and  see  the  result.  En- 
[303] 


thusiasm  of  the  latter,  who  was  ecstatic  over  the  per- 
fection of  the  work,  the  perfect  resemblance  and  the 
lifelike  feeling  that  the  artist  had  fixed  upon  the 
canvas,  and  which  rendered  this  picture  a  marvellous 
work  of  art,  really  a  perfect  masterpiece!  And  he 
asked  the  price. 

"  Fifty  thousand  francs,"  said  Horace  Vernet. 

Stupefaction  of  the  sportsman !  "  What,  fifty 
thousand  francs?  But  you  have  only  worked  ten 
times  on  this  picture." 

"  Do  not  deceive  yourself,  my  lord,"  the  great 
painter  replied,  as  coldly  as  wittily,  "  I  have  worked 
more  than  forty  years  on  your  horse." 

And  he  was  right.  And  this  reply  contains  a  deep 
lesson.  In  the  work  of  an  artist,  of  whatever  kind, 
are  reflected  all  his  qualities,  all  his  talent  acquired  so 
laboriously,  all  his  knowledge  and  the  experience  of 
his  entire  life. 

If  all  painters  had  wished  to  paint  only  historical 
pictures,  we  should  have  had  no  Teniers  nor  Gerard 
Dows ;  and  we  have  never  heard  it  said  that  Mcisso- 
nier's  pictures  lose  any  of  their  value  because  of  being 
contained  in  a  very  small  frame.  Everyone  should 
know  how  to  choose  the  genre  or  genres  for  which  he 
is  best  adapted,  and  keep  to  them,  always  keeping 
perfection  in  view.  If  it  is  true  that  "  art  is  acquired 
by  study  and  practice,"  as  d'Alembert  says,  it  seems 
good  and  wise,  however,  not  to  squander  our  efforts 
in  too  many  different  fields,  particularly  at  first ;  we 
run  the  risk  of  not  excelling  in  any  one  of  them.  Rare 
are  such  geniuses  as  Mozart  and  Saint-Saens,  who  can 
[304] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY    FOR   COMPOSERS 

attack    victoriously   every   manifestation    of    musical 
thought. 

Finally,  while  strongly  respecting  the  established 
principles  and  admiring  their  logic,  we  must  not  re- 
nounce innovations  if  we  are  conscious  of  acting  judi- 
ciously in  introducing  them : 

sometimes  in  its  course,  a  vigorous  mind, 

Feeling  the  restraint  of  art  too  much,  departs  from  the 

prescribed  rules, 
And  from  art  itself  learns  to  pass  art's  limits.  * 

V.  THE  PROGRESS  or  ART 

It  is  thus  that  art  progresses  and  transforms  its*elf . 
And  the  modest  workers  who  thus  contribute  to  its 
slow  evolution  may  be  compared  to  those  microscopic 
madrepores,  of  which  Michelet  speaks :  "  From  the  day 
when  optics  allow  us  to  perceive  the  infusoria,  we  see 
them  making  mountains,  we  see  the  madrepores  paving 
the  Ocean."  They  do  a  great  deal  more  than  pave  it, 
they  lift  it  higher  and  submerge  entire  islands,  thus 
changing  the  geography  of  the  globe ;  they  have  their 
part  to  play  in  creation.  Each  of  them  builds  his  cell 
a  little  higher  than  those  already  constructed,  just  as 
:he  artist,  by  taking  as  his  base  and  support  the  works 
of  his  predecessors,  should  try  to  elevate  still  a  little 
higher,  according  to  his  means,  the  construction  of 
the  edifice  of  art,  of  which  he  will  never  be  more  than 
one  of  the  labourers  whatever  the  force  of  his  genius 
may  be. 

*  Boileau,  Art  pottique. 
[305] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

And  let  him  not  regard  this  comparison  with  an 
animalcule  as  something  to  wound  or  belittle  his  part. 
On  the  contrary,  it  is  this  spirit  of  abnegation,  per- 
sonal disinterestedness  and  devotion  to  Art,  that  raises 
him  above  all  others  and  makes  him  a  priest  of  the 
Beautiful,  that  eternal  cult,  and  may  justify  that  fine 
remark  of  Proudhon's :  "  Of  all  classes  of  society,  that 
of  the  artists  is  the  richest  in  strong  souls  and  noble 
characters."  That  is  precisely  how  the  artist  should 
be  regarded.  He  who  would  place  his  personal  inter- 
ests above  that  of  Art  would  be  as  despicable  as  a  poli- 
tician who  would  take  advantage  of  temporary  position 
by  furthering  his  own  affairs  to  the  detriment  of  those 
of  his  country ;  a  thing  which  I  greatly  hope  is  never 
seen,  and  will  never  be  seen  anywhere.  This  does  not 
happen  to  the  artist,  for  he  has  too  deep  a  love  of  the 
Beautiful  not  to  have  also  a  love  of  the  Good,  which  is 
almost  inseparable  from  it.  The  true  artist  is  essen- 
tially good  and  generous,  always  affable,  cordial  and 
kind,  always  ready  to  protect  and  help  his  brothers  at 
need,  to  aid  with  advice  and  often  with  his  purse  those 
young  people  who  show  a  desire  to  embrace  his  career, 
which  is  at  once  so  hard  and  so  full  of  attraction,  to 
show  them  the  right  road  and  to  guide  them  with  inex- 
haustible kindness  by  trying  to  make  it  easier  than 
it  has  been  for  him,  to  smooth  their  way  and  serve 
them  as  a  ladder  by  which  they  may  reach  a  higher 
level  than  he  himself  has  been  able  to  attain.  Is  not 
this  the  part- of  a  fine  character?  Those  who  do  not 
answer  to  this  description  are  not  really  great  artists 
at  heart,  they  are  artisans  who  may  indeed  be  es- 
[306] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

timable  practitioners  or  manufacturers  of  art,  more 
or  less  skilful  in  their  calling,  but  who  have  no  right 
to  the  noble  title  of  Artist,  taken  in  the  high  and 
proud  acceptation  of  the  word. 

Voltaire,  greeting  Gretry,  said  to  him :  "  You  are  a 
musician  and  a  man  of  mind,  sir;  it  is  a  rare  com- 
bination." He  could  not  say  this  to-day,  because  for 
a  long  time,  nothing  has  been  more  common  among 
great  artists  than  high  mentality,  unless  it  is  heart  and 
affability. 

The  artist — I  mean  here  the  composer — should  be 
first  of  all  a  creator ;  he  should  be  ceaselessly  inventing, 
considering  this  as  his  mission.  "  Art  is  to  man  what 
the  creative  faculty  is  to  God."  * 

In  the  hierarchy^  of  music,  the  composer  occupies  the 
first  rank ;  the  brain  that  creates  being  superior  to  the 
organ  that  executes.  And  it  is  in  this  also  that  he 
differs  entirely  from  the  Singer  and  the  Instrumental- 
ist, who  are  interpreters,  and  whose  function  consists 
in  faithfully  transmitting  and  bringing  to  the  com- 
prehension of  the  public  the  author's  ideas,  embellished 
more  or  less  by  the  prestige  of  their  own  talent.  Their 
part  is  none  the  less  beautiful  for  that ;  they  are  the 
advocates  and  heralds  of  talent  and  genius,  which  very 
often  owe  half  their  success  to  them ;  and  they  thus 
contribute  powerfully,  on  their  side,  to  the  evolution  of 
musical  art,  which  could  not  do  without  interpreters ; 
but  theirs  is  not  to  invent,  that  is  even  forbidden  them, 
while  it  is  not  only  the  right,  but  the  duty  of  the  most 
insignificant  of  composers. 

*  Lamennais. 

[307] 


MUSICAL   EDUCATION 

Now,  since  for  more  than  two  centuries  the  greatest 
geniuses  have  worked  ceaselessly  to  bring  modern  poly- 
phony to  perfection,  it  would  not  be  extraordinary  if 
this  marvellous  mine  were  nearly  exhausted.  There 
remains  the  resource  indeed  of  seeking  to  create  still 
new  forms,  but  this  cannot  go  very  far ;  the  discovery 
of  unknown  riches  in  the  domain  of  Harmony,  already 
thoroughly  explored  in  every  direction,  seems  exceed- 
ingly improbable ;  to  do  better  than  has  been  done, 
without  changing  the  order  of  ideas,  and  this  for  a 
long  time  still,  seems  to  border  on  the  impossible. 

It  is  therefore  probable  enough  that  we  shall  shortly 
arrive  at  a  kind  of  turning-point  in  the  history  of 
music,  one  of  those  points  that  have  already  been  found 
at  other  times,  where  Art,  not  being  able  to  go  any 
further  in  the  path  that  it  has  followed  for  several 
centuries,  and  not  being  able  to  remain  stationary 
either,  which  is  contrary  to  its  nature,  must  effect  an 
evolution  and  open  up  a  new  road  for  itself  in  coun- 
tries of  an  entirely  different  aspect,  perhaps  explored 
formerly,  but  into  which  it  now  penetrates  bringing 
with  it  the  materials  for  colonization  and  investigation 
acquired  in  the  course  of  its  former  travels,  with 
processes  of  fertilization  not  yet  applied  to  those 
regions. 

Really,  it  seems  impossible  to  push  much  further 
the  science  of  harmonic  and  orchestral  combinations 
that  modern  art  has  developed  to  their  extreme  limits, 
and  which  have  arrived  at  their  summum.  The  route 
followed  has  led  us  up  a  peak,  probably  the  most  ele- 
vated that  has  ever  been  attained,  for  it  is  indeed  dizzy- 
[308] 


STUDIES    NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

ing ;  but  beyond  which  we  cannot  dream  of  mounting 
higher ;  moreover,  we  are  threatened  with  famine.  It 
is  necessary  therefore  to  descend  into  the  valleys  again 
there  to  seek  and  gather  some  flowers  which  are  melo- 
dies, and  perhaps  replenish  our  provisions  there  be- 
fore dreaming  of  ascending  some  other  mountain  as 
yet  unknown,  the  distant  summit  of  which  is  for  the 
moment,  and  perhaps  for  a  long  time  to  come,  veiled 
from  us  by  the  clouds  of  the  future. 

It  has  always  happened  thus,  and  thus  also  it  will 
always  be,  because  it  is  impossible  that  it  can  be  other- 
wise. 

We  are  witnessing  the  complete  blossoming  of  the 
system  of  art  inaugurated  in  the  second  half  of  the 
Seventeenth  Century,  the  most  illustrious  representa- 
tives of  which  were  Bach  and  Handel  for  Germany ; 
Scarlatti,  and,  a  little  later,  Pergolese  for  Italy ;  and 
Lully  and  Rameau  for  France.  Their  geniuses  so 
diverse  gave  birth  to  three  great  national  Schools,  two 
of  which  particularly,  the  German  and  the  French, 
have  imposed  upon  themselves  the  mission  of  develop- 
ing, although  in  different  ways,  the  grand  symphonic 
style  and  modern  counterpoint,  thus  putting  to  new 
use  the  materials  accumulated  by  the  preceding  mu- 
sical civilizations,  which  kept  religious  art  principally 
in  view,  almost  the  sole  employment  of  the  voices,  and 
ended  in  the  creation  of  the  Fugue. 

Likewise,  the  treasures  of  harmonic  combinations 

and  the  discoveries  in  instrumentation  accumulated  for 

three  centuries  by  the  present  schools  will  not  be  lost 

by  those  that  follow.     This  is  a  rich  inheritance  that 

[309] 


belongs  to  them,  that  it  is  their  right  and  duty  to  cul- 
tivate so  as  to  make  it  serve  for  what  will  be  their 
ideal,  pruning  away  certain  superfluities  or  useless 
complications,  just  as  the  masters  of  our  time  have 
known  how  to  do  in  rejecting  all  that  has  seemed  to 
them  puerile  and  anti-artistic  in  the  fantastic  orna- 
mentation of  the  old  Counterpoint  of  the  Middle  Ages, 
whilst  making  the  best  use  of  the  strong  blocks  of  the 
dead  art  bequeathed  by  our  ancestors  for  the  erection 
of  their  admirable  building. 

Such  transformations  are  not  produced  suddenly ; 
they  are  the  fruit  of  centuries  of  efforts,  and  many 
generations  toil  in  obscurity  for  them  untilthe  day 
when  a  man  of  genius  who  combines  them  all  appears  in 
all  his  glory.  A  new  peak  has  been  climbed  on  which 
he  plants  his  standard,  and  which  henceforth  will  bear 
his  name.  But  how  many  modest  pioneers,  unknown 
to  fame,  have  had  to  illuminate  his  path,  pointing  out 
the  dangers  and  rocks,  blazing  it,  so  to  speak,  and 
harnessing  themselves  to  his  triumphal  chariot. 

One  must  not  despise  these  bold  soldiers  of  art  who 
construct  the  works  of  approach,  never  fearing  to 
enter  courageously  into  unexplored  and  sometimes 
blind  paths,  and  who,  in  very  truth,  do  more  for  the 
march  and  progress  of  music  than  those  who,  walking 
in  the  steps  of  the  leader  of  the  file,  seek  only  the 
success  and  applause  of  the  multitude.  "  Art  does  not 
exist  in  order  to  procure  wealth.  Be  a  noble  artist 
and  the  rest  will  be  given  to  you  into  the  bargain," 
says  Schumann,  who  knew  how  to  preach  by  example. 
Everybody  must  bring  a  stone;  no  matter  how  small 
[310] 


STUDIES   NECESSARY   FOR   COMPOSERS 

it  may  be,  the  contribution  will  never  be  useless,  pro- 
vided it  is  sincere  and  brought  in  good  faith. 
Alfred  de  Musset  was  not  afraid  to  write : 

An  artist  is  a  man,  he  writes  for  men. 
Liberty  is  the  priestess  of  the  temple. 

The  composer,  filled  with  the  nobility  of  his  mission, 
should  not  therefore  apply  himself  to  doing  again 
what  has  already  been  done,  for  there  is  no  advance- 
ment in  this,  but  to  creating  anew,  to  venturing  cease- 
lessly into  paths  where  there  may  be  something  to 
discover,  and  to  inventing  ingenious  methods.  But 
when  I  say  venture,  there  are  at  least  two  ways  of 
venturing:  we  may  venture  heedlessly  or  venture  pru- 
dently ;  here  is  where  the  role  of  talent  intervenes,  cry- 
ing "  stop,"  if  we  have  taken  the  wrong  road.  Then 
it  is  at  least  useless  to  push  research  in  the  direction 
of  careers  already  exploited,  where  we  can  discover 
nothing  but  what  has  been  discovered  already  by 
others ;  or,  if  we  do  this,  let  it  be  knowingly  and  with 
the  intention  of  going  farther.  Hence  the  utility  of 
erudition  and  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Masters  of 
the  past,  in  a  word  the  History  of  Music. 

What  will  be  the  coming  Art?  That  is  impossible 
to  predict. 

Nevertheless,  after  the  manner  in  which  the  pre- 
ceding evolutions  have  announced  and  produced  them- 
selves, considering  also  certain  tendencies  which  mani- 
fest themselves  in  the  highest  representatives  of  the 
art  of  to-day,  we  may  conjecture  that  a  return  to  the 
tonalities  of  Plain-Song  or  the  Greek  scales,  much 
[Sll] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

richer  than  ours,  with  a  preponderance  given  to  the 
melodic  element,  allied  to  a  far  greater  simplicity  of 
procedure,  is  not  improbable. — Everybody  knows  that 
in  every  species  of  art  the  greatest  effects  are  produced 
by  the  simplest  means,  and  that  in  everything,  good 
taste  and  distinction  do  not  consist  in  producing  em- 
barrassment nor  a  parade  of  one's  knowledge.  Now, 
the  farther  we  have  strayed  from  this  simplicity  of 
method,  the  greater  the  chance  that  we  shall  return 
to  it ;  the  same  reason  should  attract  composers  to  the 
antique  modes,  which,  long  forgotten  and  embellished 
with  prodigious  artifices  of  Harmony,  now  appear  as 
novelties.  Likewise,  it  seems  natural  that  the  purely 
melodic  element  which  latterly  has  been  in  truth  too 
much  disdained,  will  claim  its  ancient  rights.  Who 
lives  will  see.  Not  till  two  hundred  years  hence  shall 
I  know  if  I  have  been  a  good  prophet. 


PART  V 

OF  THE  MEANS  OF  RECTIFYING  A  MUSI- 
CAL EDUCATION  THAT  HAS  BEEN  ILL- 
DIRECTED  AT  THE  BEGINNING,  AND 
HOW  TO  REMEDY  IT 


21 


PART   V 

OF  THE  MEANS  OF  RECTIFYING  A  MUSI- 
CAL EDUCATION  THAT  HAS  BEEN  ILL- 
DIRECTED  AT  THE  BEGINNING,  AND 
HOW  TO  REMEDY  IT 


I.  SUGGESTIONS  FOE  INSTRUMENTALISTS,   SINGERS 
AND  COMPOSERS 

So  far  we  have  only  had  to  consider  straightfor- 
ward guidance  of  a  musical  education  undertaken 
normally,  and  pursued  with  a  precise  and  clearly  de- 
fined aim;  side  by  side  with  this  rational  course  we 
have  foreseen  and  admitted  irregularities  caused  by 
circumstances  and  by  almost  inevitable  modifications 
of  tastes  and  aptitudes,  though  causing,  on  the  whole, 
deviations  of  but  little  importance,  slightly  preju- 
dicial to  the  studies  as  a  whole,  and  merely  entailing 
delays  that  are  more  or  less  to  be  regretted. 

The  question  that  presents  itself  now  is  altogether 
different:  it  concerns  what  advantage  can  be  derived 
from  incomplete  musical  education,  ill  understood  and 
ill  directed  at  the  start,  and  how  it  can  be  rectified, 
completed,  or  ameliorated. 

Let  us  say  at  once  that  this  is  the  most  difficult 
thing  in  the  world,  and  that  we  must  not  deceive  our- 
[315] 


selves  on  this  point.  We  can  never  hope  to  derive 
anything  but  a  relatively  modest  advantage  from 
studies  that  have  been  ill  conducted,  at  least  unless 
they  have  been  pursued  only  for  a  very  short  time. 
To  say  or  to  think  otherwise  would  be  the  negation 
of  all  that  we  have  studied  up  to  this  point,  and  that 
has  shown  us  the  utility  of  a  logical  plan  in  the  nor- 
mal progress  of  these  studies.  Save  exceptions  of 
extreme  rarity,  of  which  we  shall  speak,  however,  it 
must  always  be  remembered  that  those  who  have  made 
a  false  start  must  suffer  the  evil  consequences  and  in- 
evitably remain  in  a  state  of  inferiority ;  that  a  very 
great  amount  of  tardy  and  hurried  work  is  not  equiva- 
lent to  work  quietly  done  in  its  own  time;  that  two 
mouthf uls  at  once  are  not  favourable  to  digestion ; 
that  "  lost  time  can  never  be  recovered,"  and  that 
"  There  is  no  advantage  in  running,  it  is  necessary 
to  start  in  time."  * 

Let  us  not  bear  too  heavily,  however,  upon  these 
demoralizing  considerations,  but  proceed  in  quest  of 
means  by  which  we  can  partially  remedy  this  deplor- 
able state  of  things. 

Of  course,  if  it  is  merely  a  question  of  a  child  that 
has  been  badly  started,  and  if  this  is  perceived  at  the 
end  of  one  or  two  months,  or  even  a  year  or  two,  the 
thing  is  very  simple ;  we  must  consider  what  has  been 
done  simply  as  null  and  void,  try  to  make  him  forget 
it,  place  him  under  a  serious  teacher,  and  begin  again 
on  a  new  basis. 

This  is  not  the  question  that  requires  to  be  studied. 
*  La  Fontaine,  La  Lievre  et  la  Tortw  (fable). 

[316] 


RECTIFYING   A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

It  is  the  very  frequent  case  of  the  individual,  man 
or  woman,  who,  having  reached  the  adult  age,  per- 
ceives that  his  musical  education,  which  he  had 
thought  satisfactory,  is  full  of  gaps,  whether  because 
it  was  not  undertaken  in  time,  or  because  it  has  been 
wrongly  directed,  or  because  he  himself  has  not  given 
the  necessary  attention  to  it,  or  because  certain  cir- 
cumstances placed  obstacles  in  the  way,  or  because  of 
any  other  reason  whatsoever,  regrets  that  things  are 
as  they  are,  and  wants  to  make  up  the  deficiencies  of 
his  previous  studies,  even  at  the  cost  of  difficult  and 
bitter  toil. 

We  must  not  hide  from  ourselves  the  fact  that  this 
is  an  extremely  difficult  thing  and  one  that  demands 
before  everything  else  an  energetic  and  persistent  de- 
termination. 

It  is  enough,  however,  that  there  have  been  mani- 
fest examples  of  success,  same  of  which  were  even 
brilliant,  to  show  there  is  no  reason  systematically  to 
dissuade  those  who  have  the  courage  and  the  constancy 
from  again  beginning  their  artistic  education. 

But  here,  contrarily  to  what  we  have  hitherto  said, 
we  must  distinguish  between  those  who  take  to  music 
for  their  simple  pleasure  and  those,  on  the  other  hand, 
who  find  themselves  under  the  necessity  of  making 
their  living  by  the  practice  of  this  art. 

The  latter  are  indubitably  the  most  interesting,  and 
since  the  advice  that  we  can  offer  is  not  the  same  for 
both  categories,  we  will  begin  with  them. 

As  we  cannot  dream  of  making  something  out  of 
nothing,  we  will  always  suppose  that  there  exists  a 
[317] 


certain  basis  of  knowledge,  of  ability  practically  ac- 
quired, or,  at  least,  special  and  well  characterized 
aptitudes.  To  seek  to  ameliorate  something  that  does 
not  exist  would  be  sheer  folly,  and  there  is  no  question 
here  of  opening  the  artistic  career  to  those  who,  rec- 
ognizing themselves  as  incapable  of  practising  any 
other  profession,  take  up  this  one  as  a  makeshift. 
Moreover,  to  tempt  them  thus  would  be  the  worst 
service  that  we  could  render  them,  and  attracting  aux- 
iliaries of  this  kind  would  be  the  worst  service  that  we 
could  render  to  art.  No  matter  how  unfinished  an 
artist  may  be,  on  account  of  his  defective  or  insuf- 
ficient studies,  it  is  rarely  that  he  does  not  possess 
some  quality,  even  if  it  is  but  slightly  developed ;  now, 
it  is  this  quality  that  must  be  sought,  in  order  first 
to  cultivate  and  then  to  bring  it  into  prominence  by 
surrounding  it  with  others,  if  there  is  still  time.  For 
the  sake  of  clearness,  therefore,  we  will  proceed  with 
types,  examining  each  by  itself  and  endeavouring 
to  discover  the  particular  means,  few  enough,  alas ! 
that  can  best  serve  in  this  new  art  of  saving  the  rem- 
nants. 

The  first  type  that  presents  itself  to  the  mind,  be- 
cause it  is  the  most  frequent  one,  is  that  of  a  person 
whose  sole  qualification  is  that  of  playing  the  piano 
fairly  well.  (I  mean  by  this  that  every  auxiliary 
study  has  been  neglected.)  One  cannot  go  very  far 
with  that.  But  if,  while  striving  after  mechanical 
perfection,  which  must  certainly  not  be  abandoned, 
since  it  is  the  brightest  gem  in  the  crown,  we  devote 
only  two  hours  a  day  to  sight-reading,  and  another 
[318] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

to  Harmony,  for  about  two  years,  things  will  assume 
quite  a  different  aspect.  Thenceforward  we  may 
hope  to  be  employed  as  an  accompanist,  which,  al- 
though modest  enough,  sets  one  foot  in  the  stirrup  of 
the  career,  and  may  open  many  doors  later.— The 
study  of  reading  at  sight  may  perfectly  well  be  car- 
ried on  in  this  special  case  without  the  aid  of  a 
teacher ;  to  be  serious  is  sufficient.  We  can  take  out  a 
reading  subscription  at  a  music  publisher's,  and  set 
ourselves,  for  example,  the  task  of  reading  a  new  score 
every  day,  in  the  manner  previously  indicated.  We 
must  not  be  afraid  to  begin  with  very  easy,  simple  and 
ingenuous  scores,  of  such  old  French  authors  as  Mon- 
signy,  Dalayrac,  Gretry  (a  Belgian),  passing  after- 
wards to  Mehul  and  Gluck.  Quite  the  contrary ;  in- 
deed, it  would  be  wise  to  stick  to  them  for  a  certain 
time  and  then  gradually  take  up  more  difficult  ones, 
such  as  Herold  and  Auber,  before  attacking  Meyer- 
beer, Verdi,  and  finally  the  modern  school. 

Concurrently,  and  in  proportion  as  we  feel  ourselves 
capable,  we  should  read  works  for  the  piano  at  sight, 
the  pure  classics  at  first,  and  then  a  little  of  every 
school,  carefully  setting  aside  light  and  mere  showy 
compositions  that  are  of  a  nature  to  hurt  the  taste.  In 
a  case  such  as  the  one  under  consideration,  we  must 
possess  enough  judgment  and  good  sense  to  repair  our 
own  education.  In  pursuing  this  study  methodically 
and  intelligently,  we  shall  also  give  ourselves  a  slight 
superficial  view  of  the  History  of  Music,  and  become 
a  good  reader  at  the  piano,  which,  to  a  certain  extent, 
will  supply  the  place  of  solfeggio. 
[319] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Of  elementary  Theory,  we  shall  learn  only  what  is 
strictly  necessary  in  order  to  undertake  Harmony : 
some  ideas  of  the  intervals,  scales  and  keys.  With  re- 
gard to  Harmony,  a  teacher  is  indispensable,  even  if 
we  intend  to  restrict  ourselves  to  a  simple  knowledge 
of  its  rules,  which  can  be  acquired  in  eighteen  months 
or  two  years  of  work ;  but  it  is  probable  that  once 
started,  we  shall  not  stop  there,  but  will  appreciate 
the  necessity  of  carrying  this  study  to  the  very  end. 
Here,  there  would  be  no  great  harm  done,  beyond  the 
last  years,  and  the  consequent  almost  impossibility  of 
becoming  a  veritable  virtuoso,  which  is  very  im- 
portant, since  Harmony,  being  a  science  as  much  as 
an  art,  can  be  studied  at  nearly  any  age. 

Let  us  now  imagine  an  entirely  opposite  case:  a 
very  good  reader,  but  a  bad  piano  player,  which 
annuls  his  talent,  by  preventing  it  from  revealing 
itself.  Here,  naturally,  it  is  the  mechanism  that  must 
be  worked  for,  but  the  first  thing  will  be  completely  to 
suppress  reading  at  sight,  for  the  practice  of  it  can 
only  tend  to  maintain  and  develop  the  faults.  In  do- 
ing this,  there  need  be  no  fear  that  the  quality  of 
sight-reading  will  be  atrophied:  this  faculty  is  never 
lost;  whether  it  is  natural  or  acquired,  it  can  be  very 
rapidly  recovered  even  after  a  cessation  of  cultiva- 
tion for  several  years,  unlike  most  of  the  other  studies. 
• — As  for  the  study  of  mechanism,  it  must  be  resumed 
very  far  back,  from  the  very  first  exercises,  and  with  a 
scrupulous  conscientiousness,  devoting  to  it  as  many 
hours  a  day  as  patience  can  bear,  and  obstinately  in- 
sisting upon  each  difficulty  that  arises  before  going 
[320] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

on  to  another,  and  constantly  returning  to  those  that 
seem  to  have  been  vanquished.  In  order  to  acquire  at 
a  late  period  a  certain  mechanism,  an  excellent  and 
curious  work  is  the  Rhythm  des  doights,  by  Stamaty, 
who,  I  believe,  was  the  only  teacher  of  Saint-Saens, 
which  may  suffice  for  his  posthumous  glory.  We  may 
use  many  others,  but  always  choosing  them  among 
those,  which  like  the  above,  contain  inexhaustible  com- 
binations of  exercises  upon  all  possible  and  imaginable 
difficulties,  from  the  most  elementary  to  the  most 
transcendent.  For  exercises,  keep  to  those  of  Cramer 
and  the  Gradus  of  Clementi,  having  the  perseverance 
to  devote  to  each  all  the  time  that  is  necessary  to  play 
it  irreproachably,  with  flexibility  and  without  any 
difficulty  whatever.  It  is  absolutely  useless  to  study 
pieces:  if,  however,  you  must  do  so,  choose  them 
among  those  that  demand  qualities  of  style  and  in- 
terpretation rather  than  virtuosity;  do  not  select  dif- 
ficult ones,  and  then  push  their  study  to  the  highest 
degree  of  perfection  attainable,  just  like  the  studies, 
upon  which  it  would  be  wiser  to  concentrate  your  ef- 
forts entirely.  But  above  all,  I  insist  that  there 
should  be  no  return  to  reading  at  sight  for  a  long 
time,  that  the  desire  should  not  be  indulged  even  for 
amusement  though  only  for  a  few  pages ;  this  would 
be  opening  the  door  again  to  the  bad  habit  and  to 
lose  in  a  few  moments  the  good  work  of  many 
days. 

What  we  have  just  said  of  a  pianist  who  is  a  very 
good  reader  and  a  very  mediocre  executant  applies 
[321] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

naturally,  in  the  works  cited  here,  to  every  instru- 
mentalist who  finds  himself  in  the  same  condition.  A 
distinction  must  always  be  made  between  an  execution 
that  is  simply  insufficient  because  it  is  unskilful,  re- 
sulting most  frequently  either  from  lack  of  study  or 
studies  carelessly  performed,  and  a  more  profoundly 
defective  execution.  The  latter  is  the  result  of  false 
principles  received,  which  are  more  deeply  rooted  the 
longer  and  more  confidently  they  have  been  cultivated. 
Such  are,  for  the  violinist,  a  wrong  holding  of  the 
body,  the  violin  and  the  bow ;  for  the  player  of  a  wind 
instrument,  a  bad  embouchure;  for  the  pianist,  the 
habit,  that  certain  teachers  still  commend,  of  holding 
the  wrists  low  and  the  fingers  elongated,  etc.  We  are 
confronted  here  with  veritable  vices  of  execution 
which  must  be  eradicated.  One  means  that  is  often 
successful  is  to  leave  the  instrument  alone  and  never 
touch  it  at  all  for  several  months,  and  upon  resuming 
the  studies,  give  almost  exclusive  attention  to  correct- 
ing the  vicious  habits  and  to  carrying  the  opposite 
qualities  even  to  exaggeration.  For  pianists  and  those 
who  play  instruments  of  strings  and  bow,  one  excellent 
thing,  during  these  months  of  suspension,  is  to  prac- 
tice every  day  some  gymnastics  for  the  arms,  dumb- 
bells, the  trapeze,  and  still  better,  fencing  with  both 
hands.  From  these  exercises,  the  effect  of  which  is 
to  make  them  forget  the  old  habits  up  to  a  certain 
point,  the  arms  and  wrists  are  strengthened,  and  the 
muscles,  having  become  more  vigorous  and  supple,  are 
in  a  better  condition  to  accommodate  themselves  to  the 
new  and  more  normal  use  to  which  we  want  to  train 
[322] 


RECTIFYING   A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

them ;  and  if  any  stiffness  remains  in  the  joints  of  the 
fingers,  the  sole  inconvenience  that  is  to  be  feared,  it 
will  rapidly  disappear. 

Let  us  pass  on  to  another  frequent  case,  that  of  a 
singer  endowed  with  a  good  voice  (without  this,  it 
is  useless  to  concern  ourselves  with  him),  who  already 
knows  how  to  use  it  well,  but  is  ignorant  of  every- 
thing else  in  music  because  it  was  thought  quite  suf- 
ficient to  teach  him  to  sing.  Sooner  or  later,  there 
always  comes  a  moment,  and  let  us  hope  for  his  own 
sake  that  it  will  come  as  soon  as  possible,  when  he  will 
be  sensible  of  the  embarrassment  caused  by  this  lack 
of  instruction  in  musical  technique,  and  will  seek  for 
the  means  of  remedying  it.  Given  an  age  when  we 
will  suppose  that  he  already  has  a  voice,  not  only 
formed,  but  trained,  the  means  to  be  employed  for 
him  are  exactly  contrary  to  those  that  suit  the  child. 
With  the  child,  we  can  count  upon  intuition,  instinct, 
memory  and  the  spirit  of  imitation,  and  reasoning  has 
very  little  to  do  with  the  case ;  but  here  it  is  the  rea- 
son that  stands  before  everything  else;  and,  in  con- 
sequence, the  order  of  studies  has  to  be  inverted. — 
The  intelligent  pupil  should  therefore,  first  of  all, 
without  giving  up  any  of  his  vocal  work,  set  himself 
to  work  courageously  on  the  Theory  of  Music,  not 
in  an  abridgment,  nor  in  any  other  book  intended 
for  infantile  schools,  reduced  to  a  kind  of  catechism 
by  questions  and  answers  in  which  he  would  not  learn 
anything,  but  in  a  serious  and  analytical  work,  of 
which,  moreover,  there  are  many  good  ones,  that  con- 
[323] 


tain  questions  and  problems  to  be  solved  at  the  end  of 
a  complete  account  of  the  principles  of  music.  This 
is  the  hardest  of  all,  and  cannot  be  well  accomplished 
without  the  aid  of  a  teacher ;  for  on  the  one  hand  there 
is  no  time  to  lose,  and  on  the  other,  the  question  is 
not  one  of  acquiring  superficial  or  illusory  ideas, 
which  amount  to  almost  nothing,  but  a  complete 
knowledge  of  Theory  as  a  whole  and  in  its  smallest 
details,  that  permits  no  gap  to  remain  in  the  mind. — 
The  same  teacher  can,  very  probably,  initiate  his  pupil 
at  the  same  time  into  a  summary  knowledge  of  the  key- 
board, so  that  without  actually  being  able  to  play  the 
piano  he  may  help  himself  in  his  studies  of  singing, 
and  not  have  to  be  perpetually  dependent  upon  and 
at  the  mercy  of  his  accompanist.  It  is  in  this  way 
that  he  will  first  feel  the  benefits  of  his  tardy  in- 
struction. But  he  must  not  stop  there ;  it  will  now  be 
fitting  to  devote  himself  to  solfeggio,  to  reading  in 
every  key,  to  reading  at  sight  melodies  with  words, 
etc. ;  and  all  those  exercises  that  we  have  presented  as 
elementary  in  the  case  of  a  study  conducted  normally 
and  progressively  will  become  for  the  singer,  being 
given  inversely,  complementary  and  perfecting  exer- 
cises that  present  no  serious  difficulties  and  are  very 
pleasant.  He  should  however  keep  watch,  and  his 
teacher  with  him,  against  anything  that  might  be  of  a 
nature  to  displace  his  voice  or  fatigue  it,  which  is  al- 
Avays  easy  to  avoid  either  by  singing  softly  or  by  trans- 
posing an  octave  higher  or  lower  those  low  or  high 
notes  that  are  beyond  his  compass.  Moreover,  every 
singer  who  really  desires  to  perfect  his  artistic  educa- 
[324] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

tion,  with  regard  to  his  ear  and  his  musical  intelligence, 
should  eagerly  seek  every  opportunity  of  taking 
part  in  ensembles,  or  choruses.  This  is  just  as  useful 
for  him,  and  he  must  understand  it  if  he  is  really 
artistic  at  heart,  as  it  is  for  the  instrumentalist  to  par- 
ticipate in  orchestral  performances.  One  cannot  truly 
call  oneself  a  musician  without  having  done  this,  more 
or  less  frequently,  but  the  oftener  the  better.  Not 
to  squander  the  voice  but  to  manage  it  carefully,  if 
it  is  precious  or  fragile,  is  merely  legitimate  prudence ; 
but  to  know  how  to  act  as  a  musician  and  to  be  con- 
sidered as  such,  taking  a  part  in  Duos,  Trios,  or 
Quartets  and  also  ensembles  is  indispensable ;  and  this 
is  the  thing  that  will  always  be  most  appreciated  by 
true  artists. — If  he  intends  to  be  a  teacher,  he  will  do 
well  to  read  very  attentively  and  without  prejudice  a 
great  number  of  methods,  first  the  most  celebrated 
ones,  and  then  the  others ;  for  even  in  those  which  at 
first  sight  seem  the  most  insignificant,  and  even 
ridiculous,  one  is  often  surprised  to  find  a  sensible  idea 
or  a  new  procedure  which  may  be  employed  in  some 
rare  case.  Notes  should  be  taken  of  all  this,  so  as  to 
be  able,  when  occasion  requires,  to  turn  without  hesi- 
tation to  the  work  in  which  one  has  seen  such  or  such 
an  ingenious  exercise,  or  practical  counsel  to  apply  at 
the  proper  time.  This  is  the  basis  of  the  experience 
which  alone  makes  real  teachers. 

A  young  violinist  who,  although  playing  his  in- 
strument pretty  well,  has  not  the  qualities  of  brio 
and  communicative  warmth  so  necessary  to  a  soloist, 
[325] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

or  one  who  although  having  a  very  complete  talent, 
loses  command  of  his  instrument  when  he  plays  in 
public,  can  first  endeavour  to  make  a  specialty  of  the 
more  sober  and  at  least  as  elevated  class  of  chamber- 
music;  and  certainly  there  is  nothing  derogatory  in 
this.  Here,  particularly  if  he  begins  by  playing  the 
second  violin,  which  is  less  in  evidence,  he  will  have 
opportunities  of  getting  accustomed  to  the  public  and 
of  losing  his  timidity.  If  this  does  not  suffice,  he  can 
take  up  the  viola,  good  players  of  which  are  rarer 
and  always  in  great  demand.  This  will  not  be  in  the 
least  hurtful  to  his  talents  as  a  violinist,  for,  as  we 
have  already  said,  the  best  study  for  a  viola  player 
is  to  cultivate  the  violin  and  the  viola  simultaneously. 
From  that  time,  his  career  will  be  as  follows:  viola  in 
the  Quartet  and  Orchestra,  and  the  violin  in  lessons 
of  accompaniment.  For  these  lessons,  it  will  be  use- 
ful for  him  to  know  thoroughly  the  entire  classic 
repertory  of  Sonatas  for  the  Violin  and  Piano,  as  also 
to  become  familiar  with  fine  contemporary  works,  not 
only  by  working  over  his  part  if  he  has  not  already 
acquired  this  in  the  course  of  his  studies,  but  by  hear- 
ing them  played  as  often  as  possible  by  great  artists, 
so  as  to  be  able  to  transmit  their  spirit  and  traditions 
as  purely  as  possible  to  his  pupils. 

Another  type:  a  musician  who  is  irresistibly  at- 
tracted to  composition,  but  who  has  not  been  through 
the  necessary  studies.  This  is  exactly  the  case  in  which 
Dalayrac  found  himself.  He  had.  felt  his  vocation 
from  his  earliest  years,  but  he  was  opposed  and  pre- 
vented from  following  it  for  a  long  time  by  his  fanv 
[326] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

ily,  particularly  his  father,  who  had  decided  at  first 
to  make  him  a  magistrate,  and  then  an  officer,  sys- 
tematically suppressing  every  inclination  for  musical 
study,  even  as  an  amateur.  There  is  no  doubt  but 
that  he  would  have  risen  infinitely  higher  without 
these  grievous  obstacles,  considering  his  astonishing 
facility  of  melodic  creation,  his  exquisite  taste,  his  ex- 
cellent dramatic  instinct  and  an  imagination  as  varied 
as  abundant.  What  saved  him  was  his  good  sense; 
having  reached  an  age  when  at  last  he  had  the  right 
to  direct  his  life  as  he  pleased,  he  took  his  lack  of 
knowledge  and  erudition  into  account  and  knew  how 
to  limit  himself  to  works  of  an  amiable,  light,  gra- 
cious and  easy  style,  in  which  his  genius  shines  not- 
withstanding all  kinds  of  awkward  writing,  against 
which  he  would  have  been  broken  if  he  had  ventured 
to  attempt  works  of  more  elevated  character  and 
higher  flight.  In  this,  he  set  a  noble  and  good  ex- 
ample, worthy  of  imitation,  but  which  few  are  suf- 
ficiently modest  to  follow.  We  may  remark,  in  fact, 
that  intuitive  composers  who  lack  technical  instruc- 
tion, never  forming  an  exact  idea  of  the  difficulties, 
in  their  unreflecting  ardour  are  nearly  always  carried 
away  with  the  desire  to  begin  with  some  long  work, 
such  as  an  Opera,  or,  at  least,  a  Symphony,  some  work 
in  fact  that  is  absolutely  impossible  to  achieve  with- 
out long  preliminary  studies.  In  this  they  resemble 
the  students  who  in  their  desk,  between  a  paper  of 
Mayflies  and  a  box  of  silkworms,  produce  a  tragedy 
in  five  acts  and  who  would  never  dream  of  properly 
balancing  a  quatrain  of  cross  rhymes.  This  is  the 
[327] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

fearless  and  sympathetic  courage  of  one  who  is  ig- 
norant of  danger. 

The  best  advice  to  give  these  is  to  read  carefully 
the  very  complete  (I  believe)  plan  that  we  have  traced 
of  studies  that  are  desirable  for  the  erudition  of  com- 
posers, eliminating  from  it  what  seems  to  them  super- 
fluous, or,  with  greater  reason,  what  they  find  that 
they  have  already  studied  with  some  other  end  in 
view,  and  to  make  choice,  according  to  the  degree  of 
their  knowledge  or  ignorance,  of  the  branches  in 
which  it  is  advisable  to  make  their  first  efforts.  To 
be  sure,  they  must  choose  branches  which  are  within 
their  reach,  and  beware  of  putting  the  cart  before  the 
horse;  for  example,  by  studying  Orchestration  with- 
out first  knowing  something  about  Harmony,  to  which 
we  often  see  them  singularly  inclined,  doubtless  not 
understanding  that  in  order  to  orchestrate  something, 
that  something  must  exist,  and  be  normally  built,  and 
that  it  is  in  the  parts  of  Harmony  or  Counterpoint 
that  the  embryo  of  the  orchestral  designs  is  found.  If 
they  should  commit  any  such  indiscretion,  it  would  be 
disastrous,  for  it  would  be  simply  starting  again  on 
a  wrong  road.  Therefore  it  is  a  very  good  thing  to 
commit  oneself,  if  it  is  possible,  to  the  direction  of 
some  musician  well  instructed  in  all  of  these  things, 
a  composer  or  Kapelmeister,  who  would  always  be 
more  apt  and  in  a  better  position  than  ourselves  to 
judge  sanely  of  our  own  situation.  If  circumstances 
do  not  permit  of  consulting  one,  then  act  prudently 
and  distrust  the  very  natural  and  easily  explicable 
propensity  that  one  always  has  of  going  too  fast,  a 
[328] 


RECTIFYING   A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

dangerous  propensity  against  which  one  has  to  strug- 
gle energetically,  while  regarding  it  as  a  symptom  of 
excellent  augury  in  itself. — If  the  student-composer 
has  need  of  going  back  to  the  very  sources  of  tech- 
nical instruction,  of  pure  theory  and  notation,  it  is 
very  probable  that  he  can  do  this  by  himself  by 
means  of  some  full  and  methodical  work.  But  for  the 
study  of  Harmony  or  Counterpoint,  he  will  not  be  able 
to  dispense  with  a  teacher  any  better  because  he  is 
already  behind,  quite  the  contrary.  It  is  otherwise 
with  all  that  concerns  Instrumentation  and  the  study 
of  forms,  for  which  the  reading  of  strongly  written 
works  and  special  Treatises  will  suffice  for  a  mind 
open  to  ideas  of  analysis  and  accustomed  to  reflection. 

During  the  time  that  these  studies  last,  the  stu- 
dent is  not  forbidden  to  compose ;  that  would  be  put- 
ting his  patience  to  a  too  severe  and  useless  trial.  But 
he  would  act  wisely  in  knowing  how  to  limit  himself 
provisionally  to  productions  of  restricted  length  and 
generally  of  slight  development,  in  which  he  can  ap- 
ply his  new  science  in  proportion  as  it  grows ;  or  again, 
if  he  is  forced  by  his  temperament,  throwing  off  on 
paper  simple  sketches  and  rough  draughts,  postpon- 
ing their  complete  extension  and  definite  form  till  the 
day  when  he  will  have  acquired  the  necessary  talent 
and  skilfulness  in  writing. 

Let  us  add,  however,  that  it  is  in  Composition  that 
the  most  unforeseen  exceptions  may  present  them- 
selves; a  veritable  vocation,  allied  with  an  energetic 
character  and  an  iron  will,  can  triumph  over  all  ob- 
stacles. There  are  several  examples  that  show  that 
22  [  329  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Genius  can  sometimes  divine  or  invent  what  it  has 
not  learned.  Therefore  we  must  never  despair  and 
abandon  what  has  once  been  begun. 

Another  way  of  being  led  astray  is  to  have  accom- 
plished all  the  laborious  studies  of  a  composer  from 
beginning  to  end  and  to  perceive  finally  that  the  in- 
spiration is  defective,  that  there  is  a  lack  of  original- 
ity and  that  all  the  talent  acquired  can  never  end  in 
anything  but  the  production  of  estimable  works, 
doubtless  also  honourable  and  well-written,  but  with- 
out the  slightest  trace  of  personal  genius.  Let  us  say 
first  that  the  mere  fact  of  realizing  this  situation  of 
relative  impotence,  after  having  devoted  many  years 
to  an  absorbing  woi'k  and  having  nursed  ourselves 
with  ideas  of  glory,  denotes  an  extraordinary  intelli- 
gence and  self-knowledge.  When  one  is  endowed  with 
such  great  judgment,  one  may,  while  renouncing 
totally  or  partially  the  seductive  career  dreamed  of, 
see  another  one  opening  out  before  one,  which  though 
shining  with  less  splendour,  is  neither  less  beautiful 
nor  less  worthy  of  everybody's  respect:  one  can  de- 
vote oneself  to  teaching,  and  become  a  professor  of 
the  first  order.  In  the  evolution  of  art,  one  will  play 
the  part  of  an  organ  of  transmission.  All  the  knowl- 
edge acquired,  all  the  materials  collected,  all  the  riches 
of  art  which  one  has  accumulated  in  and  for  oneself, 
one  transmits,  refined  and  amplified  by  the  work  of 
the  mind,  to  a  new  generation  of  young  artists  full 
of  ardour,  among  whom  will  be  found  a  few  privi- 
leged ones,  who,  more  happy,  profiting  by  them,  will 
realize  the  dream.  Unable  to  be  the  flower  that  un- 
[330] 


folds   in   the  sunshine,   one  will   be  the  branch  that 
supports  and  nourishes  flowers  and  fruits. 

The  greatest  joy  of  a  teacher,  when  he  possesses 
the  real  love  of  teaching,  is  to  see  his  pupils  surpass 
himself;  it  is  like  that  of  the  happy  father  of  a  fam- 
ily who  has  succeeded  in  creating  for  his  children  a 
superior  position  to  his  own.  The  pupils  are  the 
professor's  artistic  descendants ;  and,  although  most 
frequently  he  reaps  nothing  but  ingratitude,  his  heart 
beats  and  rejoices  at  the  success  of  each  one. — Out- 
side of  teaching,  or  by  its  side,  an  erudite  and  non- 
producing  artist  can  also  assume  a  very  responsible 
and  very  often  badly -filled  post, — that  of  a  critic ; 
we  will  even  say  that  he  seems  made  for  this.  "  An 
excellent  critic  should  be  an  artist  who  has  much 
knowledge  and  taste,  without  prejudice  and  without 
envy,"  Voltaire  has  said.  Is  not  this  exactly  the  case 
with  him  of  whom  we  are  speaking?  The  knowledge 
and  the  sentiment  of  the  beautiful  he  must  have  ac- 
quired in  the  course  of  his  studies ;  and  he  has  no 
reason  to  have  prejudices,  nor  jealousy,  as  he  is  not 
producing  himself.  Is  Voltaire  alone  in  this  opin- 
ion? It  seems  not.  This  is  what  Villemain  thinks: 
"  To  be  a  good  critic,  one  should  be  capable  of  being  a 
good  author."  This  is  what  Proudhon  thinks :  "  The 
mission  of  a  critic  does  not  imply  the  obligation  to 
produce  masterpieces  and  discover  the  truth."  This 
is  what  La  Bruyere  thinks :  "  A  critic  is  not  formed 
until  after  many  years  of  observation  and  study." 
And  I  could  cite  many  others.  What  are  these  ob- 
servations and  studies  of  which  La  Bruyere  speaks? 
[331] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

If  we  are  only  thinking  of  musical  critics,  they  are 
exactly  the  same  as  those  through  which  the  composer- 
student  has  had  to  pass.  Here  then  is  a  way  entirely 
open.  In  saying  above  that  this  post  is  often  badly 
filled,  I  was  thinking  of  those  occasional  critics,  who 
are  not  really  scarce,  and  who,  by  the  single  fact  that 
they  can  hold  a  pen,  think  they  have  the  right  to 
judge  everything  and  to  speak  of  everything  ex 
cathedra;  who  would  be  just  as  ready  to  accept  lit- 
erary criticism  to-morrow ;  and,  the  day  after  that,  of 
the  picture  galleries,  provided  they  kept  their  pen, 
which  is  generally  a  goose-quill.  It  is  to  them, 
and  to  them  alone,  that  we  may  apply  the  famous  line 
of  Destouches :  "  Criticism  is  easy  and  art  is  hard,"  * 
so  often  attributed  to  Boileau,  doubtless  on  account 
of  its  conciseness  and  incisive  form.  For  in  truth, 
Criticism,  as  it  should  always  be  practised,  and  as  it 
is  practised  in  our  days  by  those  who  are  masters  of 
it,  is  not  such  an  easy  thing.  First  of  all,  it  demands 
a  very  broad  general  culture  joined  to  complete  tech- 
nical knowledge  of  the  special  subject  under  treat- 
ment :  "  There  are  many  kinds  of  ignorance,  the 
worst  of  all  is  that  of  the  critics  " ;  it  is  again  Vol- 
taire who  says  this.  It  next  demands  a  somewhat  large 
amount  of  eclecticism,  permitting  one  to  choose,  se- 
lect and  recognize  what  there  is  of  good  in  every  sys- 
tem, and  to  reject  nothing  on  account  of  a  precon- 
ceived idea ;  broad  ideas  are  necessary.  Finally,  it 
demands  a  literary  turn  exempt  from  pedantry,  and  a 
certain  dose  of  amenity  and  indulgence  which  should 
*  Destouches,  Le  Glorieux,  Act  II.,  Scene  V. 

[332] 


RECTIFYING   A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

attract,  if  he  has  a  well-constructed  mind,  him  who 
has  good  reasons  to  know  the  difficulties  of  art,  and 
which  will  permit  him,  when  necessary,  to  coat  the 
too  bitter  pills  with  a  little  sugar.  A  critic  is  not 
a  reporter;  he  is  an  initiator  and  a  guide,  an  edu- 
cator and  a  professor;  his  pupil  is  the  public.  This 
is  why  the  two  professions  can  join  forces  and  mu- 
tually complete  one  another  so  well. 

A  pupil  who  has  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his 
time  in  studying  an  instrument  which  is  not  suitable 
to  his  conformation,  and  upon  which  he  cannot  hope 
to  attain  the  desired  skill,  can  go  back  to  one  of  those 
instruments  which  we  have  mentioned  as  capable  of 
being  taken  up  at  the  adult  age,  the  double-bass,  for 
example,  or  the  brasses.  The  benefit  of  the  anterior 
studies  will  not  be  entirely  lost,  and  more  than  once 
he  will  be  able  to  turn  some  of  this  acquired  knowledge 
to  advantage.  It  is  the  same  with  a  singer  who  has 
lost  his  voice ;  if  he  is  a  good  musician,  he  can  look  for 
an  instrument  that  suits  him. 

There  is  no  quality  so  trifling  that  one  cannot  de- 
rive from  it,  if  not  a  profession  of  an  artistic  charac- 
ter, at  least  a  more  or  less  lucrative  occupation 
bordering  upon  and  indirectly  allied  with  art.  A 
good  reader,  who  is  something  of  a  harmonist,  can 
make  himself  useful  as  a  proof-reader  for  a  music- 
publisher;  even  he  who  can  do  nothing  but  write  a 
beautiful  manuscript  can  become  a  copyist.  More- 
over, he  can  perfect  himself,  learn  to  transpose  and 
[333] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

correct  the  careless  mistakes  in  the  manuscript  of  ama- 
teurs. There  are  some  who  have  even  succeeded  in 
creating  veritable  bureaux  of  copying,  with  numerous 
employees,  and  have  built  up  a  good  business.  Many 
composers  like  to  have  duplicate  copies  of  their  work 
before  sending  it  to  press,  and  keep  a  regular  copyist 
for  this.  Rossini  had  one  who  wrote  a  beautiful  hand, 
but  who  had  a  mania  for  adding  flats.  He  called 
him  and  said :  "  Tell  me,  my  friend,  why  have  you 
again  put  in  this  flat?"  "I  don't  know,  Master," 
stammered  the  other,  somewhat  disconcerted,  "  but  it 
seemed  sweeter  to  me  that  way!!!  "  Rossini  did  not 
get  angry;  he  took  up  a  great  eraser  and  scratched 
out  the  flat. 

We  feel  that  this  chapter  might  be  indefinitely  pro- 
longed by  introducing  new  cases  that  are  much  easier 
to  imagine  than  the  numerous  examples  that  present 
themselves  daily,  alas!  But  what  is  the  use?  They 
would  only  be  variants  of  the  preceding  ones,  and  it 
would  be  better  for  us  to  occupy  ourselves  with  the 
amateurs. 

IL  SUGGESTIONS  FOR  AMATEURS 

All  the  same  types  of  defective  or  incomplete  pre- 
liminary instruction,  begun  too  late  or  badly  directed, 
that  we  have  passed  in  review  in  studying  the  most 
proper  means  that  can  be  employed  for  some  profit 
to  be  gained,  all  these  same  types,  we  repeat,  are  nec- 
essarily and  still  more  frequently  found  among  the 
[334] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

amateurs.  It  is  very  natural  that  they  should  be  more 
pronounced  with  the  latter,  and  with  more  character- 
istic faults;  for,  originally  at  least  and  with  rare  ex- 
ceptions, the  study  of  amateurs  must  have  been,  by 
the  very  logic  of  things,  more  neglected.  Particularly 
in  the  case  of  young  people,  they  have  been  forced 
to  give  precedence  to  the  principal  studies,  being 
justly  considered  as  accessories  and  luxuries,  to  be 
undertaken  at  odd  times,  in  moments  of  rest  and  rec- 
reation. Now,  unless  there  is  some  precocious  and 
extraordinarily  pronounced  inclination,  encouraged 
and  approved  by  the  parents,  it  is  very  seldom  that  a 
young  boy,  having  to  choose  between  a  game  of  foot- 
ball and  a  music  lesson,  will  not  give  the  former  the 
preference. — My  opinion  is  that  he  is  right.— It  is 
a  little  different  with  regard  to  young  girls,  in  whose 
general  education  a  much  larger  part  is  given  to  what 
are  called  "  accomplishments,"  and  who  have  to  learn 
with  good  will  or  by  force  a  little  music,  drawing  and 
dancing.  But  in  the  Lycees,  Colleges,  Convents,  and 
other  educational  establishments,  it  is  seldom  that  one 
can  find  the  necessary  time  at  one's  disposal  under 
the  existing  conditions,  and  also  seldom  that  well- 
trained  teachers  are  to  be  found,  or  those  who  have  the 
necessary  means  of  training  at  their  disposal.  The 
so-called  accomplishments  are  therefore  drudgery 
and  it  is  only  on  holidays  that  one  could  indulge  in 
them.  And  on  those  days,  one  would  much  rather  take 
a  walk  or  visit  friends. — This  again  is  a  very  natural 
thing.  In  reality,  only  the  child  who  is  educated  by 
teachers  and  tutors  under  the  paternal  roof,  who,  if 
[335] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

his  instinct  leads  him  to  it  and  it  is  the  wish  of  his 
parents,  can  devote  himself  at  an  early  age  to  the  se- 
rious and  profitable  cultivation  of  the  art  of  music, 
and  have  the  necessary  guides  for  this  purpose. 

This  explains  the  practical  state  of  inferiority  in 
which  even  the  most  highly  endowed  amateurs  find 
themselves,  in  comparison  with  professionals  of  a  very 
ordinary  grade.  They  totter  at  the  base;  they  lack 
the  elementary  instruction,  or  they  have  treated  it  too 
lightly,  attaching  no  importance  to  it,  except  in  the 
cases  described  above,  which  require  a  rare  combina- 
tion of  happy  circumstances. 

It  is  here  also  that  may  be  found,  putting  aside  all 
idea  of  a  career,  the  veritable  line  of  demarcation  be- 
tween the  professional  artist  and  the  amateur  artist, 
the  line  that  seemed  to  us  difficult  to  define  clearly  at 
the  beginning  of  the  first  chapter :  the  one  has  to  make 
art  his  constant  preoccupation,  since  he  must  live  by 
it ;  while  the  other  is  only  bound  to  it  in  an  intermittent 
fashion  and  according  to  his  caprices;  whence  it  re- 
sults that,  intelligence,  gifts  and  all  things  being 
equal,  the  advantage  and  superiority  will  remain  with 
the  professional. 

To  return  to  our  subject,  from  which  I  have  inten- 
tionally wandered  a  little,  it  is  important  to  consider, 
and  this  will  now  appear  clear,  that  the  advice  that  I 
have  given  above,  having  in  mind  unfinished  artists, 
who  feel  the  need  of  improving  themselves,  cannot  be 
addressed  to  amateurs  who  find  themselves  in  the 
same  case  unless  they  would  be  pleased  to  treat  them- 
selves as  rigorously  as  those  who  have  to  seek  their 
[336] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

means  of  existence  in  this  art.  In  my  opinion,  if  they 
want  to  continue  to  cultivate  music  in  the  quality  of 
amateurs,  they  can  do  better  and  otherwise. 

The  amateur  instrumentalist  seeks  only  pleasure  in 
art,  his  own  pleasure  first  and  then,  by  extension,  the 
pleasure  that  he  can  give  to  those  around  him.  Now, 
unless  he  possesses  a  great  talent  and  a  complete 
virtuosity,  which  puts  him  outside  the  category  which 
we  are  studying  here,  and,  moreover,  necessitates  a 
considerable  discussion,  there  does  not  exist,  either  for 
him  or  for  those  with  whom  he  is  pleased  to  share  his 
pleasures,  any  artistic  satisfaction  comparable  to  that, 
or  to  all  those,  that  may  be  derived  from  a  veritable 
skill  in  reading,  I  mean  here  expert  reading,  intrepid 
reading,  that  is  frightened  by  nothing. 

For  every  society  man  or  woman,  who  already  plays 
the  piano  fairly  well,  particularly  the  women,  the  men 
having  generally  less  leisure,  this  so  desirable  talent 
can  be  obtained  much  more  easily  than  may  be  imag- 
ined. It  is  quite  sufficient  to  pursue  this  with  a  perse- 
verance pushed  to  obstinacy,  setting  aside  all  other 
aims.  By  this  means,  one  may  be  certain  of  succeeding, 
in  a  greater  or  less  amount  of  time,  in  accordance  with 
the  degree  of  individual  natural  capacity,  but  success 
is  always  infallibly  attained,  and  of  this  it  is  well  to 
be  thoroughly  convinced.  As  for  the  means,  they  are 
extremely  simple,  demanding  not  more  than  three 
hours  a  day  of  very  agreeable  work,  which  however 
must  be  regular  and  uninterrupted ;  this  is  an  almost 
indispensable  condition  of  success.  First  of  all,  a  spe- 
cial arrangement  must  be  made  with,  I  do  not  say  a 
[337] 


professor,  but  simply  a  young  artist  who  is  a  good 
reader,  in  whose  company  the  student  should  read  at 
sight  every  day  for  two  consecutive  (important) 
hours,  first  four-hands,  then  on  two  pianos.  This  work 
should  be  performed  even  more  scrupulously  than  ever, 
according  to  the  principles  that  I  have  already  laid 
down  in  detail  in  the  chapter  on  the  Study  of  In- 
struments, and  of  which  I  will  repeat  a  summary  of 
the  principal  points:  slowly,  strictly  in  time,  with  the 
shadings,  and  never  stopping.  For  each  four-hand 
piece,  the  first  part  should  be  played  first  and  then 
the  second;  this  is  better  than  the  converse,  as  it  al- 
lows the  melodic  memory  less  chance  of  coming  into 
play.  The  repertory  for  sight-reading  should  consist 
principally  of  classical  String  Quartets  transcribed 
for  four  hands,  the  Symphonies  of  Haydn  and  Mozart 
and  later  those  of  Beethoven  and  Mendelssohn,  and 
all  the  classical  works  of  these  composers  or  others 
written  or  arranged  by  them  for  four  hands;  col- 
lections of  classics  or  modern  etudes  for  four  hands; 
then  pieces  of  any  style  and  period  whatsoever,  even 
entire  scores  of  Operas  or  Operas-comiqties,  tran- 
scribed for  four  hands  without  the  vocal  parts  (the 
old  Italian  and  German  ones  particularly  are  pro- 
curable, nowadays  such  transcriptions  are  no  longer 
made)  ;  finally,  anything  that  may  be  desired,  pro- 
vided that  it  is  good  music  and  that  it  is  not  too  dif- 
ficult to  be  read  at  sight  correctly  without  any  great 
effort. 

After  some  time  at  this  exercise  and  stili  continuing 
it,  it  will  be  indispensable  to  procure  a  second  piano 
[338] 


RECTIFYING   A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

for  the  new  study  that  follows:  having  two  scores, 
vocal  and  piano,  absolutely  identical  (same  edition) 
of  any  Opera,  we  should  read  at  sight  the  piano  part, 
that  is  to  say  the  transcription  of  the  orchestral  score, 
on  one  of  the  instruments,  while  on  the  other  piano 
the  artist-tutor  plays  the  vocal  parts,  which,  by  the 
way,  is  far  more  difficult  than  it  appears  to  be,  partic- 
ularly in  the  ensembles;  it  is  understood  that  he  must 
play  the  tenor-part  in  the  real  octave,  not  the  notes 
written.  Here  the  repertory  is  inexhaustible,  as  it  em- 
braces all  the  operas  of  the  past,  present  and  future. 
In  the  Overtures,  Entr'actes  or  Airs  de  Ballet,  where 
there  are  no  vocal  parts,  the  tutor  must  not  be  idle ; 
he  should  double  the  bass  or  the  principal  melodic 
designs,  improvize  any  part  of  reinforcement,  or  beat 
the  time  like  an  orchestral  conductor ;  in  fact,  preserve 
in  some  manner  his  part  of  commander.  At  first,  the 
scores  should  be  selected,  naturally,  from  those  that 
are  clearest  and  easiest,  and  the  greatest  care  should 
be  taken  that  the  progressive  difficulty  of  them  should 
be  perfectly  graduated,  not  letting  ourselves  be  car- 
ried away  by  the  temptation  to  read  prematurely  more 
attractive  but  too  difficult  works,  from  which  flounder- 
ing would  result. 

Of  course,  when  the  student  is  capable  of  it,  these 
pleasures  may  be  varied;  pieces  specially  written  for 
two  pianos  may  be  even  read  at  sight ;  but  it  must  be 
remembered  that  they  are  generally  written  for  virt- 
uosi. For  works  for  two  pianos,  one  should  first  read 
the  second  piano  part,  and  afterwards  the  first,  in- 
versely to  what  we  have  said  for  the  pieces  for  four 
f339] 


MUSICAL   EDUCATION 

hands.  Reasons  for  acting  otherwise  do  not  exist 
here,  for  generally  the  first  piano  part  contains  more 
difficulties. 

As  I  have  already  said,  four-hand  sight-reading 
should  not  be  abandoned.  One  of  the  two  consecu- 
tive hours  may  be  reserved  for  the  latter,  and  the 
other  devoted  to  the  reading  of  two  piano  scores. 
The  third  hour,  which  should  be  separated  from  the 
others,  will  be  devoted  to  mechanical  work:  scales, 
exercises  and  studies  of  medium  difficulty,  which  can 
even  be  always  the  same  if  desired.  It  is  no  less  nec- 
essary than  the  two  others. 

The  basis  of  the  system,  be  it  understood,  is  never 
to  read  at  sight  alone ;  to  have  always  a  solid  support, 
which  never  allows  the  slightest  time  for  stopping  or 
beginning  again.  It  is  therefore  necessary  to  choose 
for  these  functions  of  a  clockwork  pendulum  only 
an  artist  who  is  an  excellent  musician  and  endowed 
with  an  impeccable  feeling  for  rhythm. 

By  proceeding  thus  conscientiously  and  not  neglect- 
ing the  slightest  detail,  not  even  the  hour  of  mechani- 
cal work,  I  maintain  that  any  amateur  will  rapidly 
become  a  perfect  reader.  By  rapidly,  I  mean  in  a  few 
years. 

We  must  not  be  astonished  nor  discouraged  if  at 
first  progress  is  slow  and  almost  inappreciable.  It  is 
generally  thus.  On  the  other  hand,  when  once  the  gear 
is  well  started,  progress  marches  with  giant's  strides, 
astonishing  even  to  ourselves. 

An  excellent  auxiliary,  be  it  understood,  would  be 
Chamber-Music  and  the  ensemble  lesson;  but  not  at 
[340] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

the  beginning, — only  when  a  certain  sureness  has  been 
acquired. 

The  kind  of  talent  thus  acquired,  I  repeat,  is  cer- 
tainly by  far  the  most  agreeable  of  all  for  an  amateur 
pianist  of  intelligence.  What  would  be  the  use  of 
his  aiming  at  high  perfection  and  an  irreproachable 
finish  and  what  great  pleasure  would  he  gain  from  it  ? 
On  the  contrary,  the  study  of  sight-reading,  so  se- 
ductive in  itself,  since  it  bestows  the  knowledge  of  so 
many  things,  brings  everything  within  our  reach  in 
every  class  of  music,  for,  outside  of  the  profusion  of 
great  and  beautiful  things  inspired  by  the  piano, 
there  docs  not  exist  a  single  masterpiece,  so  to  speak, 
that  has  not  been  transcribed  for  it,  often  indeed  in 
many  different  ways.  Moreover,  this  is  the  most  so- 
ciable species  of  talent,  the  one  that  will  always  be 
most  appreciated  in  society,  the  one  that  best  enables 
us  to  make  ourselves  agreeable  to  everybody.  Still 
further,  and  this  is  an  eminently  precious  thing,  it  is 
the  one  species  of  talent  that  is  never  lost ;  even  after 
several  years  of  interruption,  we  shall  recover  it  in- 
tact, since  a  few  weeks  of  training  at  most  is  demanded 
to  get  it  all  back. 

He  who  has  become  a  brilliant  reader  by  employ- 
ing the  procedure  that  I  have  indicated,  will  find  that 
he  has  acquired  at  the  same  time  a  good  share  of  the 
qualities  that  constitute  the  best  accompanist ;  a  lit- 
tle custom  will  do  the  rest.  If  it  pleases  him  to  add 
to  this  the  study  of  transposition,  the  principles  of 
which  may  be  learned  in  a  few  hours,  and  afterwards 
require  only  practice,  he  will  thereby  acquire  consid- 
[341] 


erable  prestige  among  singers.  And  if  he  has  a  suf- 
ficiently perspicacious  mind  to  know  how  to  use  his 
ability  as  a  reader,  by  keeping  abreast  with  all  that 
appears,  with  the  new  opera,  and  has  a  good  enough 
memory  to  retain  by  heart  its  principal  fragments, 
and  the  ballet,  if  he  does  all  this  simply  and  without 
pretension,  with  grace  and  good  humour,  he  will  soon 
become  the  favourite  of  the  drawing-rooms  where  mu- 
sic is  held  in  honour. 

In  the  same  order  of  ideas,  every  amateur  who  has 
some  little  voice,  should,  if  this  voice  is  true,  consider 
it  a  duty  to  cultivate  it,  not  with  a  view  to  singing 
grand  arias,  which  does  not  always  escape  ridicule, 
but  to  be  able  on  every  occasion  to  take  a  part  without 
singing  out  of  tune  in  a  vocal  ensemble,  to  read  a  score 
at  sight  in  company  with  a  pianist  who  is  a  good 
reader,  and  all  without  awkwardness  in  seeking  the 
notes  by  picking  with  one  finger  in  the  treble  of  the 
piano,  but  with  such  ease  and  certainty  that  the  re- 
sult is  as  great  a  pleasure  for  himself  as  for  his  partner 
and  for  an  audience  of  intimate  friends.  This  is  a 
result  that  is  easily  attainable  by  any  young  girl  wlro 
has  some  notions  of  music,  and  one  that  will  often  find 
its  application. 

The  amateur  who  plays  any  other  instrument  than 
the  piano  should  also  always  set  highest  the  qualities 
of  a  reader  but  less  absolutely,  because  he  cannot 
hope  for  the  same  intellectual  enjoyments;  a  score 
cannot  be  read  on  the  violin.  In  compensation,  it  is 


RECTIFYING   A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

just  to  consider  that  the  effort  is  infinitely  less  for 
him  and  only  exacts  a  little  will  and  perseverance. 

Nevertheless,  if  he  wishes  to  work  seriously  and 
specially  at  sight-reading,  he  can  procure  an  accom- 
panist, whose  mission  will  be  never  to  allow  him  to 
stop  or  hesitate,  and  with  whom  he  will  proceed  very 
nearly  as  we  have  indicated  above  for  the  pianist.  But 
this  is  not  at  all  indispensable  for  him.  He  would 
do  far  better  to  initiate  himself  into  the  mysteries  of 
the  String-Quartet,  in  which,  after  having  passed 
the  inevitable  trials  and  liberated  himself  from  the 
awkwardness  that  must  always  be  gone  through  at  the 
beginning,  he  will  find  one  of  the  noblest  and  most  de- 
lightful pleasures  that  the  cultivation  of  the  art  of 
music  can  afford. 


III.  THE  STRING-QUARTET 

Of  all  forms  of  composition,  the  String-Quartet 
is  the  only  one  that  presents  the  peculiarity  of  never 
admitting  any  kind  of  padding  or  accompaniment. 
Each  of  its  four  parts  is  concerted,  that  is  to  say  that 
each  possesses  its  own  individual  interest,  equal  to  that 
of  the  three  others ;  and  if  all  produce  solidarity  with 
regard  to  the  effect  of  the  whole,  yet  each  preserves 
its  liberty  and  personality  for  the  interpretation  of 
the  thousand  details  with  which  the  work  swarms. 
This  is  the  reason  that  the  intellectual  pleasure  expe- 
rienced in  executing  a  work  thus  conceived  cannot  be 
compared  to  any  other  pleasure  of  interpretation,  the 
intensity  of  which  it  is  almost  impossible  ,to  imagine 
[343] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

without  having  tasted  it.  Another  peculiarity  result- 
ing from  the  same  cause,  is  that  the  sum  of  the  pleasure 
of  the  interpreters  is  infinitely  superior  to  what  they 
can  communicate  to  their  hearers,  for  they  alone  can 
penetrate  into  the  interior  of  the  work,  comprehending 
its  intimate  structure,  touching  the  wheels  and  making 
them  move,  and  experiencing  the  strange  sensation  of 
themselves  forming  a  part  of  it,  identifying  themselves 
with  it  and  giving  life  to  it. 

It  is  a  little  like  Whist ;  I  beg  pardon  if  this  some- 
what brutal  comparison  is  ill  chosen,  having  never 
touched  a  card  in  my  life ;  but  it  seems  to  me  that  even 
those  who  know  the  game  take  less  interest  in  follow- 
ing a  hand  than  is  experienced  by  the  partners  who 
are  playing  it. 

Nevertheless,  hearing  this  kind  of  music  strongly 
captivates  some  amateurs,  witness  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte, better  known  as  a  general  than  as  a  dilettante, 
remarking  to  the  celebrated  violinist  Baillot  that  for 
himself,  from  the  very  first  notes,  a  Quartet  takes 
hold  of  you,  absorbs  you,  and  "  changes  the  dispo- 
sition of  the  soul  in  an  instant."  * 

In  order  to  make  the  interest  belonging  to  this 
study,  which  is  worthy  of  every  elevated  mind,  better 
appreciated,  I  think  I  should  not  resist  the  desire  to 
cite  in  extenso  several  paragraphs  from  a  little  work 
in  which  this  question  is  treated  by  a  master  hand. 

"  Two  Violins,  a  Viola  and  a  Violoncello !     But  let 

us  not  be  deceived ;  this  little  orchestra  contains  within 

itself  a  mysterious  power  that  one  would  hardly  sup- 

*  Bonaparte,  premier  Consul,  a  la  Malmaison. 

[344] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

pose.  These  four  voices  are  at  once  four  spirits  that 
sing,  talk,  dispute,  or  agree,  according  to  the  influ- 
ence that  dominates  them. 

"  To  the  first  violin  belongs  the  choice  and  respon- 
sibility of  the  movement,  the  indication  of  the  gen- 
eral character  of  the  work  and  the  initiative  of  the 
phrase.  All  of  these  are  conditions  on  which  depends 
essentially  the  moral  and  material  effect  of  the 
Quartet  as  a  whole. 

"  He  must,  like  an  orchestral  conductor,  dominate 
the  others,  hurrying-  them  along  or  holding  them 
back,  but  yet  being  always  ready  to  abdicate  at  any 
required  moment  and  take  up  the  part  of  accom- 
panist. Without  this  suppleness  of  authority  on 
the  part  of  the  first  violin,  a  quality  much  rarer  than 
is  thought,  the  Quartet  is  no  longer  a  conversation, 
but  turns  very  quickly  into  a  quarrel,  in  which,  led 
away  by  the  example  of  the  leader,  each  player,  crush- 
ing, overwhelming  and  dominating  his  neighbour, 
egotistically  triumphs  over  the  ruins  of  the  work ! 

"  The  second  violin,  the  natural  confidant  of  the 
first,  notwithstanding  its  modest  role,  is  called  upon 
at  a  moment's  notice  to  dominate  the  musical  conver- 
sation in  his  turn.  This  part,  formerly  played  upon 
a  much  larger  instrument  than  the  French  *  violin 
used  by  the  first  violin,  and  of  a  less  brilliant  tone, 
was  easily  distinguishable  in  the  ensemble;  but  to- 
day the  tone  of  the  two  instruments  being  identical, 
infinitely  more  tact  and  discretion  are  required  from 
the  player  to  keep  this  part  in  its  place,  and  greater 

*  An  interesting  and  little  known  detail. 
23  [  345  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

attention  from  the  listener,  in  order  to  follow  this 
delicate  part  which  alternately  appears  and  disap- 
pears according  as  it  is  entrusted  with  an  interesting 
figure  or  with  a  secondary  accompaniment. 

"  As  for  the  viola,  or  alto,  this  part  in  the  Quartet 
is  entirely  conciliatory ;  tuned  a  fifth  lower  than  the 
violin,  it  seems,  by  the  very  nature  of  this  accord, 
brought  here  to  bind  the  shrillness  of  the  violin  with 
the  deep  tones  of  the  bass.  Its  sweet  and  expressive 
voice  participates  in  the  roundness  of  the  one  and 
the  lightness  of  the  other,  while  perfectly  preserving 
its  individual  timbre.  To  it  are  confided  those  notes 
whose  plaintive  sensibility  cannot  be  translated  by  the 
dominating  voice  of  the  violin  nor  the  firm  power  of 
the  bass;  it  seems  to  be  to  the  Quartet  what  the  bas- 
soon is  to  the  Orchestra.  How  many  examples  might 
be  cited  in  which  this  instrument  seems  to  have  in- 
spired the  phrase  entrusted  to  it  for  rendering! 

"  Lastly  comes  the  violoncello,  which  presents  itself 
under  the  double  aspect  of  the  low  bass  of  accompani- 
ment, as  Haydn  uses  it  in  a  great  number  of  his 
Quartets,  or  a  singing  part  embracing  the  entire 
compass  of  the  diapason,  and  as  fully  entrusted  with 
passages  as  the  other  voices  of  the  Quartet,  as  Mozart 
and  Beethoven  have  treated  it,  and  all  the  modern 
composers  with  them.  It  is  upon  this  part  that  the 
harmonic  edifice  rests,  as  if  it  were  the  keystone  of 
the  arch,  and  its  importance  in  giving  assurance  to 
the  Quartet  modulations,  etc.,  almost  equals  that  of 
the  violin. 

"  From  the  modest  amateur  Quartet  to  the  most 
[  346  J 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

brilliant  interpretation  that  a  skilful  artist  can  ef- 
fect before  a  large  audience  that  he  charms  and  in- 
structs, the  pleasure  of  the  Quartet  presents  itself 
under  many  different  aspects  and  in  very  different  de- 
grees. Let  us  say,  however,  that  the  best  condition 
for  the  enjoyment  of  this  kind  of  music  is  in  the  in- 
timacy whose  charm  is  so  well  allied  to  the  natural 
and  the  simple  which  the  masters  whom  we  have  cited 
knew  how  to  preserve."  * 

Its  name  defines  it :  chamber-music.  "  This  it  is  that 
leaves  to  the  executant,  with  liberty  of  choice,  aban- 
don, the  unexpected,  spontaneity  and  self-forgetful- 
ness  in  the  work.  This  it  is  also  that  permits  us  to 
play  without  any  mental  reservation  of  certain 
beauties  in  which  science  dominates  and  which  we 
might  often  fear  to  compromise  in  the  presence  of  a 
too  numerous  audience."  *  Let  us  add :  or  an  audi- 
ence containing  some  profane  individuals,  for  really, 
to  give  all  your  heart  and  soul  to  a  performance  of 
this  nature,  and  seeing  in  front  of  you  only  indifferent 
or  bored  faces  is  suffering ;  it  freezes  you. 

Returning  to  our  lover  of  a  stringed  instrument, 
and  to  the  means  by  which  such  an  artistic  satisfaction 
is  accessible  to  him,  apparently  the  simplest  course  is 
to  form  a  group  of  two  violinists  and  a  'cellist,  all 
three  amateurs  knowing  how  to  use  their  instruments, 
and  to  hire  as  professor  and  guide  a  good  violinist  who 
is  accustomed  to  and  experienced  in  chamber-music. 
Each  of  the  amateur  violinists  can  play  alternately  the 
second  violin  and  the  viola,  unless  each  prefers  to  keep 
*  Eugene  Sauzay,  Etude  sur  le  Quatuor  (1861.) 

[347] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

constantly  to  the  same  part,  which  is  perhaps  more 
reasonable  to  begin  with.  When  he  feels  strong 
enough,  the  second  violin  can  also  take  the  place  of 
the  first  from  time  to  time,  in  order  to  get  accustomed 
to  the  command;  the  'cellist  alone  remains  riveted  to 
his  instrument.  In  this  way,  one  or  two  regular  meet- 
ings a  week  can  be  organized,  between  which  each  can 
read  his  part  and  study  the  difficult  passages.  It  is 
not  a  bad  thing  to  have  some  substitutes  and  super- 
numeraries, so  that  the  meeting  can  still  be  held  on  the 
day  when  one  of  the  members  happens  to  be  absent. 
This  also  makes  it  possible  to  have  Quintets  occasion- 
ally. The  materials  for  this  study  are  certainly  not 
lacking,  for,  without  mentioning  the  most  recent 
works,  we  find  as  a  basis,  Haydn,  seventy-six  Quartets ; 
Mozart,  ten  Quartets  and  ten  Quintets;  Beethoven,  six 
Trios,  seventeen  Quartets,  and  three  Quintets.  Then 
there  are  also  Boccherini,  Onslow,  Mendelssohn,  etc., 
and  the  moderns. 

Begun  coldly  and  almost  like  a  mere  trial,  this  study 
will  take  hold  of  you  and  captivate  you  in  a  singular 
way;  four  ardent  artists,  understanding  to  what 
height  the  philosophy  of  music  may  ascend,  accus- 
tomed to  play  together,  mutually  to  support  and  to 
reply  to  each  other,  "  forming  but  one  soul  and  pene- 
trating together  into  those  mysterious  beauties,  raise 
themselves  and  their  hearers  into  the  highest  regions 
of  art.  Such  is  the  charm  of  the  Quartet,  which 
nothing  can  explain  so  well  as  itself."  * 

It  seems  to  me  superfluous  to  insist  any  further 
*  Eugene  Sauzay,  fftude  sur  le  Quatuw  '1861.) 

[348] 


RECTIFYING   A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

upon  this.  I  will  add  only  that  the  amateur  who  is 
well  broken  into  the  difficulties  of  the  String-Quartet 
will  be  perfectly  at  his  ease  in  every  kind  of  ensemble 
music,  especially  at  the  piano,  which  will  permit  him, 
while  procuring  therefrom  new  artistic  delights,  to 
render  himself  useful  and  agreeable  in  many  circum- 
stances. 


IV.  THE  DILETTANTE 

As  for  the  amateur  composer,  we  will  not  devote  a 
special  paragraph  to  him,  because  he  is  subject  to  the 
same  laws  as  the  artist ;  and,  truth  to  tell,  there  is  no 
real  difference  between  them.  The  public  has  no  rea- 
son to  be  more  indulgent  to  one  than  to  the  other. 

But  we  will  say  a  few  words  about  a  very  particular 
and  rather  large  class  of  amateurs :  those  who  do  not 
know  how  to  compose,  sing,  or  play  any  instrument  at 
all;  and  who,  not  even  trying  to  do  so,  are  none  the 
less  sensitive  to  the  beauties  of  music,  greedily  seek 
opportunities  to  hear  them,  know  how  to  judge  and 
appreciate  them  at  their  real  worth,  and  are  really  fine 
connoisseurs,  to  the  same  extent  as  lovers  of  painting 
or  sculpture,  who,  generally  speaking  at  least,  not 
painting  nor  modelling  themselves,  turn  naturally  to 
collecting.  They  may  be  defined  as  the  dilettante 
type,*  those  who  delight  in  the  admiration  and  pas- 
sionate contemplation  of  a  work  of  art. 

These  are  perhaps  the  happiest  of  all ;  although,  or 
because  they  are  perfectly  selfish.  They  somewhat  re- 
*  From  the  Italian,  Dilettare,  dtlecter,  deliyht. 

[  349  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

semble  the  Orientals,  who  do  not  understand  why  we 
should  take  the  trouble  of  dancing  ourselves,  when  it 
is  so  easy  to  watch  somebody  else  frisking  before  us. 
Yes,  he  is  indeed  the  happiest,  since  he  shares  in  all 
the  joys  of  the  artist  and  knows  only  by  hearsay  the 
miseries  and  painful  side  of  the  career,  not  even  the 
little  troubles  of  an  inferior  and  secondary  order 
which  the  militant-amateurs  have  to  encounter. 

If,  however,  the  dilettante  desires  still  to  increase 
his  share  of  contemplative  pleasures,  he  can  do  so  by 
enlarging  his  erudition,  by  simply  reading  good 
{esthetic  works,  and  by  a  deep  study  of  musical  history 
and  the  lives  of  the  great  musicians,  which  will  make 
him  understand  them  in  a  more  intimate  and  complete 
manner. 

To  know  how  to  listen  intelligently,  without  losing 
anything,  is  a  veritable  art ;  an  art  that  has  to  be 
learned  and  has  its  value.  "  Everybody  hears,  but  few 
listen,  and  a  still  smaller  number  comprehend.  It  is 
safe  to  say  that  the  conditions  for  perfect  hearing 
are  as  numerous  as  complicated ;  and  so  much  more 
difficult  to  fulfil  since  they  exact  a  kind  of  self- 
abnegation.  A  listener  who  is  attentive,  educated 
without  pedantry,  without  prejudice  either  of  ad- 
miration or  repugnance,  sensitive  and  sympathetic  to 
the  beauties  of  the  work,  entering  into  the  spirit  of 
the  performer  so  as  to  stimulate  his  eloquence,  listen- 
ing attentively  for  himself  without  imposing  his  ideas 
upon  others,  enthusiastic  and  discreet,  is,  from  the 
point  of  view  that  we  are  considering,  a  perfect  mu- 
sician, a  rare  type  which  alone  can  be  produced  by  a 
[B50] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

happy  mixture  of  instinct  and  experience."  *    There- 
fore, as  we  see,  he  is  highly  appreciated  by  true  artists. 

But  a  duty  incumbent  upon  him  is  to  show  himself 
always  affable,  gracious  and  kind  towards  those  to 
whom  he  is  indebted  for  so  many  elevated  pleasures, 
and  who  work  to  procure  them  for  him ;  he  owes  them 
aid  and  protection  quite  as  much  as  esteem  and  friend- 
ship. It  is  only  thus  that  he  may  obtain  pardon  for 
his  sybaritism. 

And  if  it  happens  that  he  gets  the  idea  of  working 
in  his  turn,  one  day  taking  up  the  pen  of  a  critic, 
which  unfortunately  is  forbidden  to  nobody,  it  should 
be  with  the  most  extreme  circumspection,  and  only 
for  the  sake  of  showing  his  personal  impressions  to 
others  without  ever  trying  to  impose  them  upon 
anybody,  and  abstaining  systematically  from  the 
abuse  of  those  technical  terms  which  he  does  not  fail 
to  use,  with  a  comical  conviction,  entirely  incorrectly. 
Jules  Janin  has  said,  I  do  not  know  exactly  where, 
that  "  Every  man  who  meddles  with  criticism  without 
having  produced  anything  is  a  dishonest  man."  This 
is  excessive.  That  he  has  produced  nothing  would 
not  be  detrimental;  but  it  is  necessary  that  he  should 
possess  the  sum  of  the  value  and  the  knowledge  of 
those  who  produce  and  whom  he  pretends  to  judge ;  as 
Voltaire,  Proud'hon  and  La  Bruyere,  who  can  scarcely 
be  suspected  of  having  consciously  agreed,  have  per- 
emptorily established.  One  can  accept  the  judgment 
of  his  equals  and  superiors  only ;  and  this  is  what 
would  render  it  notorious  presumption  on  the  part 
*  Engine  Sauzay,  iZtude  sur  le  Quatuor  (1861). 
[351] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

of  a  dilettante  to  pose  as  a  professor  of  art  and  to 
formulate  advice  as  to  what  people  should  do;  but  if 
he  knows  how  to  limit  himself,  considering  himself, 
with  some  reason,  as  the  representative  of  the  elite  of 
the  public,  its  most  intelligent  portion,  guiding  the 
great  mass  of  this  same  public  towards  the  works  or 
the  artists  that  are  the  objects  of  his  greatest  admira- 
tion, then  he  will  render  service  to  art  and  do  es- 
timable work.  By  keeping  himself  within  these  just 
limits,  not  only  in  his  writings  but  also  in  his  speech, 
he  can  contribute  in  his  sphere  of  action  to  the  devel- 
opment of  dilettanteism,  and  favour  the  expansion  of 
art  by  this  very  course  to  an  appreciable  extent. 

It  seems  that  we  have  thoroughly  examined  all  the 
cases  that  may  present  themselves  among  amateurs 
whose  studies  have  been  insufficient  or  incomplete. 
There  still  remains  one  more,  however,  perhaps  the 
most  interesting  of  all,  often  also  a  very  sad  one,  which 
it  would  be  prudent  always  to  foresee.  The  reader 
divines  it.  How  often  we  see  a  man  or  woman  of  the 
world,  more  often  a  woman,  sometimes  indeed  a  young 
girl,  obliged  by  some  reverse  of  fortune  to  seek  some 
resource,  temporarily  or  permanently,  in  the  exercise 
of  an  art  that  has  never  been  studied  except  in  the 
quality  of  an  amateur  ? 

It  is  here  particularly  that  the  inconvenience  of 
superficial  studies  is  sadly  felt,  as  also  the  danger  of 
family  and  social  adulations.  The  individual  be- 
lieved himself  or  herself  to  be  the  possessor  of  real 
talent,  accepted  all  the  compliments  as  sterling,  took 
pleasure  in  deceiving  himself  as  to  his  proper  value, — 
[352] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

and  on  the  day  when  the  necessity  arose  of  making 
use  of  it,  he  saw  it  all  vanish  in  smoke.  Shall  he 
launch  out  as  a  virtuoso?  That  is  the  first  thing1 
thought  of,  because  it  is  the  most  brilliant  and  the 
most  lucrative,  when  success  is  with  us,  but  the  ex- 
amination is  not  a  long  one.  It  very  soon  becomes  evi- 
dent that  he  possesses  nothing  that  is  needed,  and 
least  of  all  the  repertory,  the  qualities  of  endurance, 
solidity  and  assurance  which  can  only  result  from 
long  training.  That  is  the  first  deception.  Quite 
naturally,  the  next  thought  is  of  teaching.  But  to 
be  a  teacher,  scholars  are  needed ;  and  to  attract 
scholars,  unless  we  can  make  ourselves  heard  and  ap- 
plauded, we  must  be  able  at  least  to  give  some  proof 
in  some  way  of  our  qualifications  for  teaching,  or 
show  pupils  already  formed;  but,  in  order  to  show 
them,  we  must  have  some !  Then,  distressed  and  dis- 
illusioned, he  turns  in  a  fruitless  circle,  from  which 
only  a  happy  chance,  upon  which  he  must  not  count 
too  much,  can  deliver  him.  He  thought  he  had  a 
tool  in  his  hand,  and  it  was  only  a  plaything. 

For  this  sad  state  of  things,  I  do  not  know  any 
remedy. 

But  there  exists  one  means  of  avoiding  this,  which 
I  have  already  hinted  at,  and  this  is  to  be  trained  for 
teaching  in  advance.  I  know  personally,  which 
makes  me  suppose  that  the  case  is  not  very  rare,  sev- 
eral fine  examples  of  young  women  of  the  best  so- 
ciety, having  what  is  called  "  a  fine  amateur  talent," 
and  whose  position  with  regard  to  fortune  seems  to 
be,  as  far  as  is  possible,  sheltered  against  all  eventuali- 
[353] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

ties,  who  devote  several  hours  every  day,  gratuitously, 
of  course,  to  the  musical  instruction  of  young  boys  or 
girls  whose  parents  could  not  pay  for  the  luxury  of  an 
accomplishment.  Some  give  them  courses  in  sol- 
feggio, often  quite  numerous ;  others  give  in  the  true 
meaning  of  the  word,  piano  lessons;  and  there  are 
others  who  teach  singing,  the  violin,  or  the  harp,  and, 
far  from  keeping  to  the  elementary  stage,  conduct 
their  pupils  quite  far. 

Do  they  do  this  from  a  sentiment  of  pure  charity? 
We  may  be  permitted  to  doubt  it,  for  their  scholars 
do  not  belong  for  the  most  part  to  the  indigent  class, 
but  are  recruited  rather  from  the  lower  middle  class. 
In  doing  this,  however,  they  accomplish  an  unques- 
tionably beneficent  act  which  it  would  be  bad  taste  to 
disparage,  for  they  give  these  children  access  to  a 
class  of  studies  which  may  lead  them  to  a  career 
which  would  remain  closed  to  them  without  this  in- 
tervention. 

Do  they  do  this  with  an  idea  of  calculation  and 
foresight  into  the  future  and  the  sorry  surprises  that 
it  may  have  in  store  for  them  ?  I  do  not  know,  having 
never  asked  them  about  it;  but  where  would  be  the 
harm  ? 

What  is  very  certain  is  that  whatever  their  in- 
centive may  be,  there  is  nothing  here  but  what  is  es- 
sentially honourable;  and  if  the  days  of  adversity 
should  come,  they  will  find  themselves  quite  differently 
armed  for  the  struggle  from  those  who  have  never 
done  anything  to  prepare  for  it;  for  not  only  will 
they  have  thus  acquired  the  experience  of  teaching, 
[354] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

upon  the  importance  of  which  we  have  already  in- 
sisted under  all  circumstances,  so  that  there  is  no  need 
to  return  to  it  here,  but  they  have  the  means  of  justi- 
fying their  qualifications  for  teaching  by  the  exhibi- 
tion of  the  results  obtained,  by  making  their  little 
pupils  heard,  which  is  the  best  of  all  diplomas  and 
ought  to  aid  them  strongly  in  recruiting  from  those 
about  them  the  nucleus  of  a  little  following. 

And  if  they  should  never  need  to  have  recourse  to 
this  resource,  which  I  hope  may  be  so,  they  will  be  re- 
warded in  another  way  for  the  sacrifice  that  they  have 
made  of  their  time  and  trouble.  One  never  knows  any- 
thing so  well  as  that  which  one  has  tried  to  teach  to 
others;  and  by  this  benevolent  practice  of  teaching 
they  will  see  their  own  talent  develop  and  acquire 
quite  an  individual  solidity  and  an  assurance  which  is 
not  the  usual  stamp  of  amateur  talent. 

Outside  these  cases  and  several  others  quite  as  rare, 
in  which  by  the  force  of  circumstances  he  is  trans- 
formed into  a  veritable  artist-militant,  the  intelligent 
amateur,  whatever  his  degree  of  culture  may  be,  and 
even  if  in  some  things  he  surpasses,  or  thinks  he  sur- 
passes certain  professionals,  would  always  act  in  good 
taste  by  not  trying  to  rival  or  enter  into  contest  with 
them.  The  artist,  on  his  side,  will  do  well  to  avoid 
all  occasions  which  may  give  rise  to  comparisons 
that  are  unbecoming,  as  unpleasant  for  the  one  as  for 
the  other.  They  should  not  encounter  save  with  the 
noble  and  elevated  aim  of  fraternal  collaboration,  and 
with  the  desire  of  completing  one  another  and  lend- 
[355] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

ing  mutual  support.  An  ill-understood  and  petty 
antagonism  lowers  and  weakens  both,  while  by  re- 
maining each  in  his  own  province,  or  in  not  asso- 
ciating except  with  the  idea  of  co-operating  in  the 
work  of  art,  they  directly  attain  their  common  end, 
which  is  the  contemplation  or  the  production  of  the 
Beautiful. 

If  I  have  succeeded  in  making  myself  well  under- 
stood up  to  this  point,  the  reader  can  now  conceive  the 
strict  solidarity  that  should  exist  between  the  amateurs 
and  artists  who  are  equally  fond  of  matters  of  art. 
The  artist's  life  could  not  be  understood  without  his 
desire  of  being  appreciated  by  the  public  which  is 
composed  of  amateurs.  On  the  other  hand,  the  ama- 
teur could  not  exist  unless  the  artist  were  there  to  go 
before  and  show  him  the  way.  But,  if  their  ideal  is 
identical,  it  is  otherwise  with  the  ways  and  means  by 
which  they  can  or  should  pursue  it.  This  is  why,  in 
the  course  of  this  chapter,  dealing  with  the  ways  of 
rectifying  an  imperfect  education  or  of  making  the 
best  possible  use  of  it,  I  have  had  to  give  different  ad- 
vice for  apparently  analogous  cases,  according  as  they 
are  addressed  to  one  or  other  of  these  two  categories. 
It  is  for  everybody  to  judge  for  himself  in  which  he 
should  place  himself,  and  to  act  accordingly,  for  his 
pleasure  or  for  his  profit,  ad  majorem  artis  gloriam. 

I  will  only  add  here  for  the  use  of  those  unfortu- 
nate young  artists  or  amateurs  who  see  their  studies 
stopped  on  account  of  the  impossibility  of  procuring 
the  advice  of  a  teacher,  a  hint  of  a  charming  method 
that  I  have  frequently  seen  succeed  and  which  is 
[356] 


RECTIFYING   A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

called  sympathy:  this  is  the  exchange  of  lessons.  It 
is  within  the  reach  of  everybody,  with  the  exception 
of  the  absolutely  ignorant, — those  who  have  never 
learned  anything,  not  even  their  own  language. 
Really,  two  things  only  are  necessary  for  this :  first, 
you  must  know  something,  it  does  not  matter  what, 
but  something,  whether  a  language,  or  drawing,  or 
history,  or  even  some  branch  of  music,  and  this  well 
enough  and  thoroughly  enough  to  be  able  to  teach  it. 
Then  you  must  try  to  get  into  communication,  by  the 
aid  of  mutual  friends  or  relations,  or  by  some  other 
means,  even  such  as  advertising  in  the  papers,  with 
some  advanced  student-musician  who  is  in  an  analo- 
gous though  inverse  condition,  being  desirous  of  ac- 
quiring what  you  are  able  to  teach  him.  And  you 
may  believe  that  this  is  not  as  difficult  as  one  might 
suppose,  for  I  have  seen  the  exchange  of  Violin  les- 
sons for  lessons  in  Harmony ;  Piano  for  Violin ;  Sol- 
feggio for  German,  and  even  Mathematics  for  Coun- 
terpoint. I  saw  one  of  my  pupils  frequenting  a 
Fencing-school  for  three  years  by  giving  a  little 
course  on  the  Flute  to  the  master  and  his  assistant; 
and  very  recently  I  saw  another,  a  good  harmonist 
and  organist,  learning  English  and  Grecian  history 
at  the  same  time  by  teaching  the  Organ  to  a  young 
Englishman,  and  Harmony  to  a  pupil  in  the  Ecole 
Normale;  all  concluding  to  the  mutual  satisfaction 
of  the  contracting  parties,  who  afterwards  generally 
remained  excellent  friends.  This  is  mutual  instruc- 
tion without  opening  the  purse. 

The  danger  here  lies  in  the  inexperience  of  one  or 
[357] 


other  of  the  Student-Professors ;  to  remedy  this  they 
will  have  to  make  voluntary  efforts,  and  struggle  to 
divine  what  is  incompletely  explained  to  them,  and 
more  particularly  to  have  that  good  faith  which  con- 
sists in  recognizing  without  silly  self-conceit  when 
they  are  wrong.  They  will  also  act  prudently  in  not 
making  use  of  any  books  for  study  except  those  that 
have  been  used  for  their  own  instruction,  and  which 
they  are  likely  to  know  how  to  make  the  best  use  of; 
or,  if  there  is  any  reason  why  they  should  have  re- 
course to  other  methods,  these  should  be  chosen  with 
the  most  suspicious  circumspection,  and  only  from 
those  that  have  been  proved  and  have  passed  into  the 
rank  of  classics.  In  a  case  of  this  kind,  we  should 
never  venture  to  make  experiments ;  and  here  more 
than  ever  it  is  important  to  follow  only  the  best 
known  and  most  frequented  paths.  People  could 
scarcely  believe  the  harm  that  is  done  to  instruction 
by  bad  works  of  enticing  titles  and  full  of  fallacious 
promises:  The  Violin  Learned  without  a  Master;  The 
Piano  in  Fifteen  Lessons;  The  Art  of  Composing 
Brought  within  the  Reach  of  All;  these  are  all  fool- 
traps  which  we  must  guard  against  as  pickpockets. 
Absolutely  nothing  can  be  learned  in  music  without 
the  necessary  amount  of  time,  or  without  a  guide, — • 
unless  it  is  the  accordion  or  the  ocarina. 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

V.  HELPFUL  BOOKS  AND  METHODS 

I  had  no  intention  of  giving  a  catalogue  of 
didactic  works  here ;  but  since  several  friends  have  re- 
marked that,  particularly  in  considering  the  employ- 
ment of  this  mutual  teaching  by  novices  in  pedagogy, 
without  it  there  would  be  a  gap  in  a  work  which  aims 
to  be  practical  above  everything  else,  I  have  drawn 
up  the  one  that  follows.  But  I  must  carefully  ex- 
plain its  exact  scope  and  intent. 

I  have  attempted  to  make  it  a  collection  of  works 
that  by  themselves  suffice  for  musical  instruction  in 
every  branch.  I  have  proceeded  as  if  I  were  charged 
with  forming  economically  the  nucleus  of  a  scholar's 
library  for  the  use  of  some  new  establishment  that  in- 
tended to  train  musicians  of  every  kind:  Composers, 
Singers  and  Instrumentalists. 

Therefore,  if  I  have  forgotten  nothing,  as  I  hope 
is  the  case,  everybody  will  find  in  it  what  is  necessary 
for  starting  his  studies,  and  even  for  carrying  them 
up  to  a  somewhat  advanced  stage.  But  I  do  not  at  all 
mean  to  assert  that  these  are  the  only  works  worthy  of 
confidence,  nor  even  that  they  are  the  best ;  this  as- 
sertion would  necessitate  a  knowledge  of  every  one 
that  has  ever  been  written,  and  a  belief  in  my  own 
capability  of  judging  them, — two  things  in  which  I 
am  equally  lacking.  My  sole  intention  is  to  indicate 
in  some  measure,  for  any  given  field  of  musical  study, 
at  least  one  work  that  is  serious,  complete  and  con- 
scientiously written,  selected  from  those  that  I  know 
and  whose  excellence  nobody  disputes. 
[359] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

No  one  will  be  astonished  if  I  have  added  a  few  of 
my  own ;  it  would  be  strange  if  after  having  made 
them  I  should  think  them  bad.  But  I  have  always 
been  careful  to  mention  similar  ones  side  by  side  with 
them,  so  as  not  to  seem  to  be  advertising  my  pub- 
lishers. 

For  SOLFEGGIO: 

Batiste. — Petit  solfege  melodique  (Heugel). 

Panseron. — A  B  C  (2  volumes)  (Hachette). 

Panscron. — Solfeges  d'artiste  (Hachette). 

Solfeges  d'ltalie. 

Solfeges  du  Conservatoire. 

Cherubini. — Solfeges  (  Menestrel ) . 

Lavignac. — Solfeges  manuscrits  (6  volumes)  (Le- 
moine). 

Ambroise  Thomas. — Solfege  mamiscrit  (2  vol- 
umes) (Menestrel). 

There  are,  as  I  have  said  elsewhere,  an  infinite  num- 
ber of  good  works  on  the  study  of  Solfeggio,  signed 
Panseron,  H.  Duvernoy  (Leduc  and  Benoit),  Roug- 
non  (Noel  and  Gallet)  between  which  we  are  embar- 
rassed in  making  a  choice ;  the  important  thing  is  not 
to  make  use  of  any  but  those  that  have  a  clearly  mu- 
sical and  artistic  character. 

For  ENSEMBLE  SOLFEGGIO: 

Chelard. — Symphonies  vocales  a  3  et  4  "voix  {men, 
•women,  or  children),  a  work  that  is  little  known, 
but  which  is  extremely  musical  (Lemoine). 
[360] 


RECTIFYING   A   MUSICAL    EDUCATION 
For  THEORY: 

A.  Savard.  —  Principes  de  la  musique  (Hachette). 


M.  Simon.  —  Cours  complet  des  principes  de  la 
sique  (Mackar). 

In  these  works,  which  are  also  abridged  for  those 
who  only  want  a  superficial  knowledge  (which  is  al- 
ways a  mistake),  the  theory  of  transposition  is  also 
described. 

For  DICTATION  : 

Lavignac.  —  Cours    complet    de    Dictee    musicale 

(4483  dictations)  (Lemoine). 
Duvernoy.  —  200  Dictees,  en  deux  livres  (Benoit). 

For  HARMONY  : 

Reber.  —  Traite  d'Harmonie  (Gallet). 

Th.   Dubois.  —  Notes  et   etudes  complement  indis- 

pensable du  Traite  de  Reber  (Heugel). 
Fr.  Bazin.  —  Cours  d'Harmonie  (Lemoine). 
Of  the  last  two  works,  Bazin's  is  the  simplest  and 
clearest,   as   well  as   the   easiest.      Reber's,   with   the 
addition     of    Dubois's    Notes,     initiates    one     much 
more    completely    into   the    combinations    of    modern 
harmony. 

Th.  Dubois.  —  87  Lecons  d'Harmonie  (Heugel). 

A.  Barthe.  —  90  Lemons  d'Harmonie  (Leduc). 

Ch.     Lenepveu.  —  100    Lecons    d'Harmonie     (Le- 

moine )  . 

Lavignac.  —  208  Lecons  d'Harmonie  (3  volumes) 
(Lemoine). 

24  [  361  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

For  COUNTERPOINT  AND  FUGUE: 

The  most  complete  and  practical  work  is  the  last 
that  has  appeared: 

Th.  Dubois. — Traite  de  Counterpoint  et  Fugue 
(Heugel,  1901). 

Before  the  appearance  of  this  book,  the  one  used 
almost  exclusively  was  that  of 

Cherubini.— Cours  de  Counterpoint  et  Fugue 
(Heugel). 

From  the  point  of  view  of  erudition  or  archaeologi- 
cal research,  it  is  well  to  read  the  treatises  of  Fux 
•(1660),  Marpurg  (1754),  and  Albrechtsberger 
(1790). 

For  the  study  of  MUSICAL  FORM  : 

Hugo  Riemann. — History  of  Musical  Forms.  (One 
of  a  series  of  Musical  Catechisms.) 

Jadassohn. — Der  Lehre  vom  Kanon  und  von  der 
Fuge  (Berlin,  1884). 

Die  Forman  in  den  Werken  der  Tonkunst  analy- 
siert  (1885). 

For  ORCHESTRATION: 

Gevaert. — Traite  d'Instrumentation  (Lemoine). 
Gevaert. — Cours   methodique  d'orchestration    (Le- 
moine). 
Berlioz. — Grand  Traite  d'Instrumentation  et  d'Or- 

chestration  moderne  (Lemoine). 
Guiraud. — Traite  pratique  d 'orchestration. 
j(Durand-Schoenwerk),  a  charming  little  element- 
ary work  and  yet  very  complete. 
[  362  ] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

For  the  MILITARY  ORCHESTRA: 

Gabriel  Pares. — Traite  d' 'Instrumentation  et  d'Or- 
chestration  militaires  (Lemoine). 

There  are  little  elementary  methods  for  all  the  wind 
instruments  by  the  same  author. 

For  MUSICAL  ACOUSTICS: 

Tyndall. — Lectures  on  Sound  (London,  1867). 
Helmholtz. — Sensations  of  Tone.     Translated  by 
Ellis  (London,  1875). 

For  the  study  of  the  HISTORY  OF  Music : 

Felix    Clement. — Histoire   de   la   musique    (Hach- 

ette). 

H.  Lavoix  fils. — Histoire  de  la  musique  (Quantin). 
Fetis. — Biographic    des    musiciens     (8     volumes) 

(Firmin-Didot). 

A.  Pougin. — Supplement  a  Vouvrage  precedent. 
Gevaert.- — Histoire    et     Theorie     de     la     musique 

grecque  (Ghent,  1875-1881). 
Lavoix    et    Lemaire. — Histoire    du    Chant    (Heu- 

gel). 
Lavignac. — La   musique   et    les    musiciens    (Dela- 

grave),  a  work  which  is  a  sort  of  encyclopaedic 

resume  of  all  knowledge  useful  to  musicians. 

MUSICAL  DICTIONARIES: 

Hugo  Riemann. — Musik  Lexikon  (1882;  English 

ed.,  1893-'6). 

Paul  Rougnon. — Dictionnaire  musicale  des  locu- 
tions eir  anger  es  usitees  en  musique  (Paul  Du- 
pont). 

[363] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

For  SINGING: 

M.    Garcia. — Traite   complet   de   VArt   du   chant 

(Heugel). 

J.  Faure. — La  Voix  et  le  Chant  (Menestrel). 
Crosti. — Le  Gradus  du  Chanteur  (Girod). 
Duprez. — Methode  complete  du  Chant  (Heugel). 
Delle-Sedie. — L'Art  lyrique  (Leduc). 

For  HYGIENE  OF  THE  VOICE: 

Dr.  Mandl. — Hygiene  de  la  voix  (1879). 
Dr.  Castex. — Hygiene  de  la  voix  parlee  et  chantee 
(1894).     (  Gauthier- Villars. ) 

For  the  PIANO  : 

There  are  a  multitude  of  excellent  methods  that 
everybody  knows;  I  mention  only  two,  which  do  not 
seem  to  me  to  be  known  as  much  as  they  deserve : 
Louis  Koehler,  op.   80. — Methode  de  piano  avec 
explications  theoriques  et  pratiques,  et  plus  de 
100  exercises  et  morceaux  originaux  (Siegel  a 
Leipzig). 

Villoing   (who  was   Rubinstein's  teacher). — Ecole 
pratique  du  piano  (Heugel). 

Stamaty    (who    was    Saint-Saens's    teacher). — Le 

Rhythm  des  doights  (Menestrel). 
Czerny. — The  whole  collection  of  his  exercises  for 

every  degree  (Leduc,  Costallat,  etc.). 
J.  B.  Cramer. — Etudes  (2  volumes)  (Lemoine). 
Clementi. — Gradus    ad    Parnassum    (3    volumes) 

(Richault). 

[364] 


RECTIFYING   A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

J.  Seb.  Bach. — The  Well-Tempered  Clavier  (2  vol- 
umes). 

Moscheles. — Etudes  (  Benoit ) . 

Hummel. — Etudes  (Costallat). 

Stephen  Heller. — Etudes  (10  volumes)  (Maho, 
Lemoine,  etc.). 

Chopin. — Etudes  (2  volumes)  (Lemoine). 

Liszt. — Etudes  after  Paganini  (Breitkoff  &  Har- 
tel,  Leipzig;  Costallat,  Paris). 

For  READING  (  4  hands  )  : 

Marmontel. — L'art     de     dechiffrer     (elementary) 

(Heugel). 
Lemoine. — Ecole  de  la  mesure  et  de  la  ponctuation 

(Lemoine). 

For  the  HARP  : 

R.  Martenot. — Methode  de  Harpe  (Enoch). 

For  the  ORGAN  : 

Lemmens. — Ecole  d'orgue  (Schott). 

Cl.  Loret. — Cours  d'orgue  en  4  livres  (Loret  et 

Freytag). 

J.  Seb.  Bach. — Preludes  and  fugues  for  the  organ. 
Mendelssohn. — Six  Organ  Sonatas  (Peters). 

For  the  HARMONIUM  : 

Lefebure  -  Wely.  —  Methode  pour  rharmonium 
(Parvy). 

[365] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

For  the  VIOLIN  : 

De  Beriot.  —  Methode  elementaire  de  Violin 
(Schott). 

Baillot.— Uart  du  Violin  (Heugel). 

Kreutzer. — 40  Etudes  (Peters). 

Fiorillo. — 36  Caprices  (Peters). 

Rode. — 24  Caprices  (Peters). 

Campagnoli. — Divertissements  a  toutes  les  posi- 
tions (Litolff). 

For  the  VIOLA: 

Bruni. — Methode  pour  V Alto  Viola  (Enoch). 
Martinn. — Nouvelle  methode  d'Alto  (Costallat). 

For  the  VIOLONCELLO  : 

Baudiot. — Grande  methode  de  Violoncelle  (Costal- 
lat). 

Romberg. — Methode  complete  de  Violoncelle  (Cos- 
tallat). 

Chevillard. — Methode  complete  de  Violoncelle  (  Cos- 
tallat). 

R&bsLud. ^Methode  complete  de  Violoncelle  (Cos- 
tallat). 

For  the  DOUBLE-BASS  : 

Labro. — Methode  de  Contrebasse  (Gallet). 
Gouffe. — Traite  sur  la  Contrebasse  (Costallat). 
Bottesini,   G.    de. — Methode  complete   de   Contre- 
basse (Ricordi). 

[366] 


RECTIFYING    A    MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

For  the  FLUTE  : 

Berbiguier. — Methode  complete  pour  la  Flute  (Co- 

telle). 
Quantz. — Versuch    einer    Anweisung,     die    Flote 

traversiere  zu  spielen  (1752). 

For  the  OBOE: 

Brod. — Methode  de  hautbois   (Lemoine). 
Verroust. — Methode  pour  le  hautbois  (Costallat). 

For  the  CLARINET  : 

Beer. — Methode  complete  de  clarinette  (Leduc). 
Klose. — Methode  pour  clarinette  (Leduc). 

For  the  BASSOON: 

Cokken. — Methode  de  basson  (Leduc). 
Bremond. — Exercises  et  arpeges  (Evette). 

For  the  HORN  : 

Dauprat. — Methode    de    cor    (Lemoine) — French 

horn. 
Bremond. — Exercises  (Leduc) — Valve  horn. 

For  the  TRUMPET: 

Dauverne. — Methode  pour  la   Trompette   (Mille- 

reau) — simple  Trumpet. 
Guilbaut. — Methode  pour  la  Trompette  a  pistons 

(Margueritat) — Trompette  a  pistons. 
[367] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

For  the  CORNET  A  PISTONS  : 

Forestier. — Methode  complete  theorlque  et  prati- 
que pour  le  cornet  a  pistons  (Bernard  Latte). 

Arban. — Methode  de  Cornet  et  de  Saxhorn  (Le- 
duc). 

For  the  TROMBONE: 

Dieppe. — Methode    complete    pour    le    Trombone 

(Joubert) — Trombone  a  coulisses. 
Delisse. — Opuscule  Rudimentaire  et  classique  (Mil- 

lereau) — Trombone  a  pistons. 

Wherever  possible,  I  have  added  the  name  of  the 
publisher,  in  order  to  facilitate  search  in  book -shops 
and  to  avoid  confusion.  When  no  name  is  given,  it  is 
because  the  work  in  question  is  a  classic  that  belongs 
to  the  public,  of  which  many  editions  exist  and  which 
is  easy  to  find. 


PART  VI 

VARIOUS  KINDS  OF  INSTRUCTION:  IN- 
DIVIDUAL, CLASS  AND  CONSERVATORY 
INSTRUCTION 


PART   VI 

VARIOUS  KINDS  OF  INSTRUCTION:  IN- 
DIVIDUAL, CLASS  AND  CONSERVATORY 
INSTRUCTION 


I.  PRIVATE  TEACHING 

It  now  remains  for  us  to  consider  for  the  last  time 
Musical  Instruction  in  its  entirety,  but  from  a  dif- 
ferent point  of  view  from  all  that  has  gone  before. 

One  of  the  most  serious  questions  must  in  fact  pre- 
sent itself  to  parents  who  want  their  children  to  study 
music,  as  it  will  later  to  the  pupils  themselves,  when 
they  have  reached  an  age  at  which  they  can  them- 
selves decide  upon  the  guidance  >  of  their  studies.  It 
is  this :  of  the  two  kinds  of  teaching :  individual  or  in 
classics,  which  should  be  chosen?  Or,  what  is  merely 
the  same  question  put  differently,  which  produces  the 
best  result  with  an  equal  sum  of  effort  or  money  ex- 
pended? Here  a  distinction  ..  must  be  made. 

In  principle,  we  may  reply  that  private  teaching 
is  the  best  for  learning  an  instrument,  or  learning 
singing,  which  comes  to  the  same  thing,  the  voice  hav- 
ing to  be  considered,  in  all  that  concerns  musical 
[371] 


studies,  as  nothing  but  a  living  instrument.  The  rea- 
son is  simply  that  the  teacher  has  not  so  much  time, 
as  is  customary  devoted  to  a  private  lesson,  to  ob- 
serve his  pupil  carefully,  to  look  out  for  his  faults, 
to  try  to  develop  his  good  qualities,  to  give  him  ap- 
propriate examples,  to  make  him  understand  and  re- 
peat these  and  to  be  engrossed  with  him  exclusively 
without  any  outside  foreign  preoccupations  to  dis- 
turb him ;  also  because,  to  tell  the  truth,  two  pupils 
absolutely  alike  do  not  exist,  and  it  can  never  be 
proper  to  treat  both  exactly  in  the  same  way,  nor 
with  identical  means. 

II.  CLASS  INSTRUCTION 

On  the  other  hand,  the  classes  are  preferable  in  all 
that  concerns  pure  technique,  that  is  to  say,  Solfeggio, 
Theory,  Dictation,  Transposition,  Harmony,  Coun- 
terpoint, Fugue,  Composition,  everything,  in  short, 
whose  rules  or  immutable  laws  are  invariably  the  s,ame 
for  all,  and  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  character, 
or  special  qualities  of  each  individual,  which  should, 
on  the  contrary,  outside  of  these  rules,  and  especially 
in  all  that  concerns  Composition,  preserve  its  inde- 
pendence and  individuality. 

I  think  it  may  be  useful  to  enter  into  a  few  details 
regarding  other  reasons  which  make  me  prefer  class 
teaching  in  each  of  these  branches  of  musical  tech- 
nique. 

Solfeggio:  a  pupil  cannot  sol-fa  for  a  whole  hour 
at  a  time,  it  would  be  much  too  fatiguing ;  but  he  can 
[372] 


VARIOUS     KINDS     OF     INSTRUCTION 

thoroughly  profit  by  a  Course  of  Solfeggio  that  lasts 
two  hours  by  taking  interest  in  the  work  of  the  other 
pupils  and  in  following  the  music,  when  he  himself 
is  not  singing.  We  may  even  conclude  a  priori  that 
the  largest  classes  are  also  likely  to  be  the  best,  for 
they  permit  of  ensemble  solfeggio  of  several  parts, 
one  of  the  most  perfect  studies  that  exists  for  expand- 
ing the  musical  intelligence  and  perfecting  the  edu- 
cation of  the  ear. 

Theory:  this  is  spoken  instruction,  which  can  be 
given  at  the  table  (and  there  it  is  also  accomplished 
the  best),  followed  by  questions  or  problems  for  the 
pupil  to  solve  in  writing. 

Dictation:  exactly  the  same  time  is  required  to 
give  dictation,  whether  the  pupils  number  one  or 
hundreds.  So  it  wastes  the  time  of  a  teacher  and  gives 
him  useless  fatigue  when  he  is  required  to  give  indi- 
vidual dictation,  and  is  of  extra  advantage  to  nobody. 

Transposition:  the  same  reasons  hold  as  for  Sol- 
feggio and  Theory,  whether  the  exercise  is  in  trans- 
position by  reading,  or  by  singing  at  the  piano,  or 
whether  it  is  done  by  writing;  nearly  as  much  is 
learned  by  seeing  it  done,  by  watching  intelligently, 
of  course. 

Harmony:  here  the  motives  of  my  predilection  are 
of  quite  another  nature :  there  is  an  advantage  in  be- 
ing able  to  compare  our  own  work  with  that  of  our 
comrades,  whether  their  standing  is  absolutely  abreast 
of  our  own,  or  ahead,  or  even  behind  (without  too 
great  a  difference,  however).  This  develops  judg- 
ment and  the  spirit  of  analysis;  but,  contrarily  to 
[373] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

what  we  have  said  regarding  Solfeggio,  there  is  no 
advantage  here  in  the  class  being  large ;  from  four 
to  ten  pupils  is  well  enough,  that  is  a  good  proportion, 
for  it  is  necessary  for  every  one  frequently  to  have  a 
finger  in  the  pie. 

Counterpoint:  the  same  considerations  hold  good 
here  as  for  harmony,  but  in  a  much  higher  degree.  It 
is  at  least  as  instructive  to  see  the  faults  in  the  work 
of  fellow-pupils  sought  for,  and  to  participate  in  this 
search,  to  criticize,  and  to  take  sides  for  or  against 
a  certain  interpretation  of  strict  rules  of  this  severe 
species  of  composition,  as  it  is  to  see  the  work  that 
we  ourselves  have  written,  minutely  examined  and  dis- 
sected. 

Fugue  and  Composition:  here,  again,  my  motives 
are  of  a  new  order.  Nobody  can  be  sure  of  producing 
any  composition,  fugue  or  anything  else,  by  a  certain 
day  and  hour  appointed.  We  must  wait  for  the  in- 
spiration, or,  if  that  word  seems  too  big,  wait  until 
we  are  in  the  mood,  till  the  idea  arrives.  Under  these 
conditions,  how  can  an  individual  lesson  be  set  for  a 
fixed  day  and  hour?  It  may  very  well  happen  that 
we  have  nothing  ready ;  or,  on  the  contrary,  we 
hurry,  and  carry  in  only  a  bad  piece  of  work,  a 
patched-up  task  that  is  too  hasty,  and  devoid  of  in- 
terest. In  a  class,  on  the  contrary,  among  the  whole 
number  of  pupils,  there  will  be  one  or  two  who  will 
have  produced  something,  and  that  something,  what- 
ever it  is,  will  be  sufficient  to  furnish  material  for  the 
lesson,  and  at  least  serve  as  a  point  of  departure. 

Then  a  lesson  in  composition  is  first  of  all  a  dis- 
[374] 


VARIOUS     KINDS     OF     INSTRUCTION 

cussion  about  aesthetics,  sometimes  indeed  a  debate,  a 
conversation  and  an  exchange  of  ideas,  and  there  is 
no  reason  why  it  should  be  addressed  to  a  single  per- 
con. 

Such  are  the  motives  that  lead  me  to  find  class- 
teaching  superior  to  individual  teaching  in  everything 
that  relates  to  general  technique,  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end,  while  preserving  a  marked  preference  for 
individual  teaching  in  all  that  concerns  the  study  of 
singing,  or  of  any  instrument. 

Now  we  must  examine  the  exceptional  cases,  which 
do  not  seem  to  me  excessively  numerous. 

The  first  that  comes  into  my  mind  is  that  of  a  very 
backward  pupil,  who  needs  to  be  fed  by  double  mouth- 
fuls  and  to  receive  numerous  explanations.  For  the 
latter,  the  private  lesson  is  necessarily  imperative, 
whatever  the  branch  of  study  may  be.  It  is  the  same 
with  one  who,  on  account  of  his  other  work,  has  only 
a  little  time  to  spare ;  it  is  also  the  same  with  a  pupil 
whose  studies  have  a  faulty  foundation,  which  forces 
us  to  go  back  frequently,  to  consolidate  incomplete 
ideas, — a  thing  that  is  inadmissible  in  a  class.  Again 
in  the  case  of  a  slow  pupil  (which  does  not  mean  that 
he  makes  bad  progress,  therefore  those  are  often  the 
ones  that  best  assimilate  the  precepts  that  are  taught 
to  them  patiently)  who  would  hinder  his  comrades 
whose  progress  is  normal.  In  all  these  cases  and  in  all 
those  where  the  pupil  is  not  found  under  ordinary  con- 
ditions, the  private  lesson,  it  stands  for  itself,  is  the 
one  to  be  recommended. 

More  delicate  is  the  position  of  a  pupil  afflicted  with 
[375] 


MUSICAL   EDUCATION 

extreme  timidity.  If  our  aim  is  particularly  to  van- 
quish this  timidity,  it  seems  that  the  class,  with  its  in- 
evitable promiscuous  intercourse,  is  the  self-evident 
remedy ;  but  if  we  want  above  all  else  to  obtain  rapid 
progress,  notwithstanding  this  timidity,  we  shall  more 
easily  succeed  by  means  of  frequent  lessons  by  a 
teacher  who  knows  how  to  inspire  confidence.  It  is  a 
ticklish  problem. 

Perhaps,  in  this  case,  the  two  systems  might  be  tried 
alternately. 

I  see  that  I  have  forgotten  to  speak  here  of  the 
study  of  chamber-music.  For  this,  there  are  two  dif- 
ferent courses;  one  special  to  pianists,  the  other 
preferable  for  instrumentalists  in  general. — It  is  al- 
ways an  advantage  for  the  pianist  to  begin  with  a 
certain  number  of  private  lessons  in  order  to  acquire 
flexibility,  the  qualities  of  abnegation,  renunciation 
of  personal  effect  and  that  very  special  sentiment  of 
courteous  condescension  which  constitutes  one  of  the 
most  delightful  and  elegant  charms  of  this  kind  of 
music,  to  become,  in  a  measure,  sociable  and  get  rid 
of  the  habit  of  too  great  independence.  But  just  as 
soon  as  this  end  is  nearly  attained,  the  class  is  better 
and  more  profitable  for  him;  there  the  pupil  works 
with  his  fingers  but  a  part  of  the  time,  it  is  true,  but 
he  listens  as  at  an  instructive  concert,  for,  as  we  have 
already  said,  one  of  the  great  attractions  of  this  study 
is  the  magnificence  and  the  multiplicity  of  the  mas- 
terpieces with  which  the  greatest  composers  have  en- 
dowed the  library  of  instrumental  ensemble  music.  As 
it  is  impossible  for  the  student  to  play  everything 
[376] 


VARIOUS     KINDS     OF     INSTRUCTION 

himself,  he  should  endeavour  to  hear  as  much  as  pos- 
sible and  to  furnish  his  mind. — For  the  other  instru- 
mentalists, they  can  instantly  take  their  part  in  the 
class,  without  inconvenience,  but  they  must  be  in  com- 
plete possession  of  the  mechanism  of  their  instru- 
ments, and  be  good  enough  readers  to  read  their  part 
at  sight  very  fluently  and  without  the  least  difficulty, 
which  is  not  generally  demanded  of  pianists,  and 
could  not  be  reasonably  required  of  them,  their  part 
being  infinitely  greater  than  the  others. 

Such  are,  to  my  mind,  the  motives  which  should  de- 
termine the  preference,  according  to  the  circum- 
stances, and  when  we  have  absolute  freedom  of  choice 
for  class  teaching  or  for  private  teaching. 

Each  has  its  own  advantages,  and  it  is  by  thor- 
oughly understanding  these  that  the  reader  will  be 
able  to  complete  the  above  sketch  for  each  particular 
case. 

But  another  coefficient  must  also  be  taken  into  se- 
rious consideration  when  the  question  arises  of  choos- 
ing a  system  of  instruction,  and  even,  in  certain  cases, 
it  must  prevail  over  all  preceding  considerations ;  this 
is  the  ability  of  the  teacher. 

In  reality,  if,  in  any  of  the  branches  for  which  we 
have  recognized  the  superiority  of  private  lessons, 
there  should  be  found  some  eminent  teacher,  who,  for 
reasons  connected  with  his  method,  or  his  procedure, 
or  simply  his  habits  or  propriety,  has  a  marked  pre- 
dilection for  classes  or  collective  lessons,  and  if  this 
teacher  inspires  confidence  in  a  higher  degree  than  his 
brethren,  it  is  to  him  that  we  must  go,  and  thenceforth 
25  [  377  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

accept  his  ways  without  question.  If,  on  the  con- 
trary, in  one  of  those  cases  where  teaching  in  classes 
seems  to  us  the  best,  we  do  not  find  it  practised  in  our 
neighbourhood  by  able  masters,  while  we  can  obtain 
private  lessons  from  a  very  good  teacher  who  does 
not  teach  in  classes,  because  he  does  not  like  them, 
preferring  the  other  system,  it  would  be  better  to  re- 
nounce the  idea  of  a  class  and  apply  to  the  very  good 
teacher  and  leave  him  free  to  act  as  he  pleases.  In  a 
word,  the  quality  of  the  master  should  stand  above 
and  be  placed  before  all  other  considerations;  and 
when  once  we  have  placed  ourselves  under  his  direc- 
tion, we  must  leave  him  the  liberty  to  proceed  accord- 
ing to  his  own  will  and  custom.  To  try  to  impose 
our  own  ideas  upon  him  would  irritate  him,  without 
doing  any  good. 

It  is  only  in  small  localities,  or  towns  of  a  sec- 
ondary order,  that  we  can  experience  such  hesitations. 
In  all  the  great  intellectual  and  artistic  centres,  there 
are  well-arranged-  courses,  and  good  teachers  abound ; 
the  only  embarrassment  is  that  of  selection,  and  in 
that  case  we  can  allow  ourselves  to  be  guided  by  such 
general  considerations  as  the  preceding. 

Then,  in  most  of  the  large  cities  also,  there  are  Con- 
servatories, of  which  we  have  not  yet  spoken,  but 
which  constitute  a  powerful  element  of  expansion  in 
musical  instruction  for  the  amateur  as  well  as  for  the 
professional. 


[3781 


VARIOUS     KINDS     OF     INSTRUCTION 

III.  CONSERVATORY  INSTRUCTION 

Instruction  in  the  Conservatories  and  other  large 
schools  is  something  quite  peculiar  to  itself.  It  is 
collective  teaching  inasmuch  as  all  the  pupils  belong- 
ing to  the  same  class  are  united  in  the  same  place ; 
it  participates  in  the  nature  of  private  teaching, 
since  every  pupil  receives  his  personal  share  of  the 
lesson,  even  if  it  is  only  a  few  minutes,  besides  hear- 
ing the  lesson  of  his  fellow-students,  who,  likewise, 
hear  his  and  can  derive  profit  from  it.  It  is  not  ab- 
solutely theoretical,  since  the  explanation  of  the  prin- 
ciples is  always  accompanied  with  practice;  neither 
is  it  principally  practical  for  the  same  reason;  it  in- 
cludes all  this,  and  it  is  something  more  besides. 
Above  everything  else  it  is  dogmatic,  and  that  is  its 
most  appropriate  qualification.  The  professor  is 
considered  there  as  impeccable  and  infallible,  what 
he  says  must  be  accepted  as  an  article  of  faith,  and 
the  example  that  he  sets  must  be  servilely  imitated. 
If  he  is  a  singer  or  instrumentalist,  he  teaches  his 
pupils  to  sing  or  play  like  himself,  in  his  particular 
manner,  to  breathe,  to  pronounce  and  to  hold  the  bow 
as  he  does.  He  communicates  to  them  something  of 
his  own  style,  and  fashions  them  in  his  own  image ;  so 
that  when  anyone  hears  one  of  them  he  will  say  with- 
out a  moment's  hesitation:  that  is  a  pupil  of  so-and- 
so.  This  is  what  is  called  forming  a  school.  I  do  not 
mean  to  say  by  this  that  all  the  pupils  are  run  into 
the  same  mould,  for  this  would  be  a  great  mistake. 
When  the  master  is  a  truly  great  artist,  he  knows  how 
[379] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

to  leave  to  each  what  is  necessary  to  constitute  in- 
dividuality, and  devotes  himself  principally  to  de- 
veloping the  innate  qualities ;  but  there  remains,  not- 
withstanding, a  family  resemblance,  which,  without 
in  the  least  excluding  originality,  binds  together  the 
members  of  the  same  school  and  makes  them  recog- 
nized as  surely  as  if  they  bore  a  trade-mark.  This 
is  not  a  fault,  it  is  quite  the  contrary,  indeed,  in  the 
case  of  a  great  master.  In  the  matter  of  composi- 
tion, with  even  greater  reason,  the  master  inculcates 
them  with  his  ideas  and  methods  of  orchestration, 
making  them  share  in  his  admirations  or  antipathies, 
while  yet  having  the  very  sincere  general  intention  of 
allowing  them  the  greatest  latitude,  merely  prevent- 
ing them  from  straying;  and,  in  reality,  he  often 
communicates  to  them,  not  his  genius,  which,  alas !  is 
untransferable,  but  much  of  his  method,  his  talent, 
his  sleights  of  hand,  or  familiar  formulae.  The  latter 
also  forms  a  school,  certainly ;  but  the  soils  upon 
which  his  seed  is  scattered  are  so  varied  that  in  most 
cases  their  products  present  no  apparent  analogy 
and  do  not  seem  to  spring  from  the  same  species;  so 
that,  even  when  informed,  the  trained  eye  of  a  pro- 
fessional has  great  difficulty  in  recognizing  their 
common  origin.  In  the  courses  of  harmony,  counter- 
point and  fugue,  discussions  between  the  scholars  are 
strongly  encouraged,  each  one  giving  practical  ex- 
amples of  points  in  theory  which  he  pleases  to  defend 
or  attack,  seeking  the  why  and  wherefore  of  the  es- 
tablished rules  and  proposing  exceptions  or  new 
rules,  more  or  less  revolutionary.  Often  three  or  four 
[380] 


VARIOUS     KINDS     OF     INSTRUCTION 

opinions,  about  equally  tenable,  are  advanced  at  the 
same  time ;  the  arguments  accumulate  on  all  sides,  the 
texts  of  treatises  are  consulted,  points  of  comparison 
are  sought  for  in  the  scores  of  celebrated  composers, 
the  result  generally  being  that  no  one  succeeds  in 
convincing  his  adversaries,  who  remain  more  deeply 
rooted  than  ever  in  their  first  point  of  view.  Then 
only  intervenes  the  professor,  who  has  listened  im- 
partially to  everything;  he  sums  up  the  debate, 
analyzes  the  question,  weighs  the  arguments,  argues 
with  the  pupils  in  his  turn,  and  finally  announces  his 
opinion,  which  all  blindly  accept. 

This  momentary  deference  will  not  prevent  them 
later  from  judging  their  masters  in  their  turn,  re- 
jecting or  modifying  certain  of  their  doctrines,  and, 
in  a  word,  creating  their  own  system,  sometimes  a 
very  different  one,  which  is  strictly  their  right  and 
even  their  duty;  for  the  servile  imitation  of  one  style 
would  infallibly  lead  them  to  platitude  and  lack  of 
originality.  Moreover,  this  would  be  the  negation 
of  artistic  evolution.  It  is  only  on  the  school  benches 
that  this  respectful  discipline  is  necessary;  after- 
wards, everyone  is  free  to  treat  his  masters  as  old 
fogies,  which  will  not  entail  any  consequences,  nor 
annoy  them  in  the  least. 

From  all  this  friction,  which  can  only  occur  in  the 
large  official  schools  and  with  which  private  classes, 
though  profitable,  as  we  have  already  said,  cannot 
be  compared,  the  pupil  issues  more  robust  and  bet- 
ter armed  for  the  incessant  struggle  that  constitutes 
the  career  of  a  composer.  He  learns  there  some- 
[381] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

thing,  however  little,  of  the  difficulties  of  the  life 
that  he  has  chosen.  Instrumentalists  and  singers,  on 
their  part,  generally  find  in  these  large  establishments 
all  that  contributes  to  the  development  of  their  talent 
and  helps  them  to  acquire  the  serious  qualities  of  a 
musician,  from  the  classes  in  solfeggio  to  the  ensemble 
classes,  whether  vocal  or  instrumental,  and  finally  the 
orchestra  classes  in  which  all  the  divers  elements  are 
found  grouped. 

The  intercourse  with  a  large  number  of  comrades 
studying  the  same  specialty,  the  habit  of  judging 
them,  the  fact  of  following  their  progress  and  com- 
paring it  with  their  own,  all  the  lessons  being  given 
in  common,  the  facility  of  meeting  and  conversing 
with  pupils  who  have  embraced  other  branches,  and 
belong  consequently  to  other  classes,  all  contribute 
strongly  to  developing  in  the  young  artist  a  lot  of 
technical  knowledge  of  which  private  teaching  would 
never  have  given  him  an  idea  even,  and  which  may  be 
very  profitable  to  him. 

Many  professors  practise  that  excellent  system  of 
mutual  teaching  which  consists  in  raising  several  of 
their  best  pupils,  those  of  the  last  year,  for  example, 
to  the  rank  of  tutors,  and  in  confiding  to  their  care 
one  or  several  of  their  young  fellow-students,  whose 
monitors  they  become,  and  whom  they  teach  how  to 
work,  as  they  themselves  have  been  taught  by  their 
seniors,  and  as  their  young  pupils  in  their  turn  will 
teach  those  who  come  after  them.  This  procedure, 
apart  from  the  charming  side  it  has  in  making  the 
class  a  sort  of  artistic  family  of  which  the  professor 
[382] 


VARIOUS     KINDS    OF     INSTRUCTION 

is  the  head,  and  of  establishing  bonds  of  reciprocal 
sympathy,  gratitude  and  solidarity  between  pupils  of 
the  same  master,  affords  the  incomparable  advantage 
of  teaching  the  pupil  how  to  teach,  and  transforms 
the  Conservatory  into  a  normal  school  of  teachers. 
And  this  is  not  a  thing  to  be  neglected ;  for,  to  be  a 
good  teacher,  it  is  not  sufficient  merely  to  know  one's 
profession  as  an  artist  perfectly  and  to  be  capable  of 
giving  good  examples.  One  must  accustom  oneself  to 
presenting  things  with  clearness  and  method,  not  use- 
ing  technical  terms  too  often,  nor  intermingling  ex- 
planations difficult  to  grasp  with  familiar  comparisons 
or  images  more  within  the  grasp  of  the  young  pupils. 
One  must  know  how  to  discern  whether  a  subject 
should  be  treated  exhaustively  to-day,  or  whether  it 
would  be  better  only  to  graze  it  and  return  to  it  an- 
other day.  One  must  have  great  firmness  without  al- 
lowing it  to  appear,  for  in  that  case  it  is  mistaken 
for  harshness  and  irritates  the  pupil.  One  must 
know  how  to  let  the  pupil  divine  certain  things  and 
believe  that  he  has  discovered  them  for  himself,  some- 
times spurring  and  sometimes  restraining  him. 
Teaching  is  a  true  art,  which  is  not  acquired  in  a  day 
and  into  which  one  is  never  initiated  so  well  and  so 
quickly  as  by  first  practising  as  a  subordinate,  under 
the  patronage  and  responsibility  of  a  serious  and  ex- 
perienced master;  and  it  is  hard  to  get  this  kind  of 
exercise  except  in  a  Conservatory,  which  seems  to  me 
the  best  of  all  ways,  and  renders  these  schools  veritable 
nurseries  for  teachers,  from  which  the  latter  are  often 
recruited. 

[383] 


Still  another  very  good  feature  of  these  large  es- 
tablishments, whatever  may  be  their  denomination — 
Musical  Institute,  Academy,  whether  of  official  or 
semi-official  character,  is  that  they  require,  as  a  final 
sanction  of  the  studies,  Examinations  or  Competitions 
at  the  end  of  the  year,  when  the  worthiest  pupils 
carry  off  prizes,  accessits,  in  fact,  diplomas,  under 
one  form  or  another. 

This  of  course  must  not  be  carried  to  abuse.  How 
often  we  have  seen  one  strong  in  his  exercises  obtain 
all  the  prizes  at  the  College  and  Lycee,  and  then  after- 
wards, when  once  launched  upon  his  career,  allow 
himself  to  be  outstripped  by  the  most  obscure,  by 
those  who  seemed  to  be  of  all  his  old  comrades  the 
least  worthy  of  consideration.  What  is  true  every- 
where else  is  true  with  us ;  these  prizes  and  diplomas 
do  not  always  prove  much  as  to  the  future.  But  if 
we  must  not  overestimate  their  importance,  neither 
must  we  scorn  them. 

We  have  said  elsewhere,  at  the  beginning  of  this 
book,  that  it  was  difficult  to  make  any  difference,  with 
regard  to  special  education,  between  the  amateur  and 
the  professional  artist ;  later,  however,  we  have  had 
to  establish  certain  lines  of  demarcation ;  there  is 
still  another  to  recognize  here.  The  practical  artist 
must  gain  his  means  of  existence  from  his  art,  in  a 
word,  the  means  of  gaining  money — the  priest  must 
live  by  the  altar — while  the  amateur,  for  whom  it  is 
a  luxury,  will  more  often  find  it  an  occasion  for 
spending.  If,  therefore,  it  is  perfectly  legitimate 
for  him  who  has  decided  to  make  art  at  once  his  aim 
[384] 


VARIOUS    KINDS    OF    INSTRUCTION 

and  his  means  of  livelihood  to  try  to  gain  these  di- 
plomas, which  will  be  credentials  for  him  and  which 
will  open  doors  and  aid  him  in  making  a  place  for 
himself,  we  must  regard  it  as  a  frivolous  satisfaction 
in  those  who  possess  other  financial  resources.  If 
they  have  any  need  of  this  stimulant,  it  is  because 
they  have  not  the  real  love  of  art,  and  treat  it  too 
much  as  a  simple  sport.  Exception  should  be  made 
for  very  young  children  who  have  a  right  to  regard 
music  as  only  a  pleasant  game  of  mind  and  skill,  in 
which  they  can  win  or  lose;  this  conception  is  suf- 
ficient for  their  age.  But  as  soon  as  it  is  a  question  of 
the  higher  studies,  emulation  seems  no  longer  neces- 
sary, and  it  seems  to  me  that  encouragement  or 
rewards  arising  from  the  contests  of  pupils  should 
pass  into  the  background  and  that  the  true  satisfac- 
tion of  the  artist  should  consist  solely  in  penetrating 
more  and  more  deeply  into  the  secrets  of  his  art,  and 
in  the  intimate  consciousness  that  every  day  he  takes 
a  step  nearer  to  perfection,  and  that  he  will  mount  by 
work  and  perseverance  higher  towards  the  idea  of  the 
Beautiful. 

IV.  EUROPEAN  CONSERVATORIES 

Without  any  doubt,  Italy  was  the  cradle  of  the 
first  Conservatories, — very  different  at  first  from 
those  of  to-day.  The  most  ancient  establishment  bear- 
ing this  name  of  which  I  have  found  any  certain  trace, 
is  the  Conservator™  di  Santa  Maria  di  Loreto,  which 
seems  to  have  been  founded  in  Naples,  about  1537, 
by  a  learned  and  also  a  celebrated  Flemish  musician 
1.385] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

named  Jean  Tinctoris ;  then,  almost  immediately, 
and  certainly  before  the  end  of  the  century,  also  in 
Naples,  at  least  three  others  appeared,  the  Conserva- 
torio  del  poveri  di  Gesu  Christo,  the  Conservatorio 
di  San  Onofrio,  and  the  Conservators  delta  pieta 
de  Turchini.  These  establishments  had  as  much  the 
character  of  refuges,  asylums,  orphanages  and  hos- 
pitals as  of  schools  strictly  speaking;  however,  in 
these,  music  was  taught  to  the  children  who  seemed  to 
show  some  aptitude,  just  as  they  were  taught  any 
other  trade,  with  the  aim  of  giving  them  a  means  of 
providing  for  their  living.  It  was  thus  that  one  of 
these  houses,  directed  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  supplied 
the  whole  region  with  strolling  and  begging  mu- 
sicians; it  was  called  the  Conservatorio  del  pauperi 
scoli,  the  Conservatory  of  the  Poor. 

Such  was  their  origin;  they  were  therefore  pious 
and  philanthropical  foundations. 

Since  that  time,  Conservatories  have  greatly  multi- 
plied in  Italy  and  throughout  the  entire  world.  Find- 
ing myself  in  possession  of  some  official  data  regard- 
ing many  of  the  most  celebrated  and  important  ones, 
I  think  it  may  be  of  interest  for  me  to  inform  the 
reader  of  their  workings,  without  vouching  abso- 
lutely for  the  small  details  of  a  secondary  order, 
which,  moreover,  may  be  modified  from  year  to  year 
by  a  simple  revision  of  rules  or  statutes.  Such  as  it 
is,  although  brief  and  often  incomplete,  this  informa- 
tion will  at  any  rate  give  the  general  aspect  of  the 
teaching  of  music  in  the  majority  of  civilized  coun- 
tries, and  may  be  useful  under  many  circumstances. 
[386] 


VARIOUS    KINDS    OP    INSTRUCTION 

Taking,  then,  Italy  for  our  starting-point,  we  will 
first  mention  the  Conservatory  of  Rome,  dependent 
upon  the  Academy  of  St.  Cecelia  (1566),  an  estab- 
lishment of  the  greatest  importance,  notwithstanding 
the  relatively  restricted  number  of  its  pupils,  about 
200,  who  receive  the  advice  of  35  professors,  all  of 
the  first  rank.  To  gain  admission,  an  application 
must  be  sent  in  from  September  1  to  October  20,  the 
age  must  be  9  years  at  the  minimum  and  11  to  22 
years  at  the  maximum,  according  to  the  classes,  and 
proofs  must  be  furnished  of  the  capacity  for  the 
course  that  is  desired.  If  at  the  end  of  a  year,  the 
pupil  does  not  appear  to  possess  the  aptitude  re- 
quired, and  if  it  is  recognized  that  he  has  no  chance 
of  success,  he  is  struck  off  the  rolls. 

At  the  Conservatory  of  St.  Cecelia,  an  establish- 
ment subsidized  by  the  government,  and  the  most  cele- 
brated in  Italy,  the  pupils  first  pay  an  admission  fee 
of  15  lire,  and  afterwards  an  annual  fee  of  60  lire. 
The  teaching,  which  is  very  complete,  comprises  the 
following  branches :  * 

Composition,!  counterpoint,  harmony,  solfeggio  and  the- 
ory ;  singing,  ensemble  choral ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  and  all 
the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  J  trombone,  and  per- 

*  For  the  state  of  clearness,  I  adopt  here  a  uniform  order  in  the 
nomenclature  of  the  classes  of  similar  establishments  :  Technical 
and  theoretical  studies  ;  singing ;  dramatic  studies ;  instrumental 
studies  ;  literary  and  scientific  studies,  and  the  study  of  languages. 

f  In  many  schools  the  word  "  composition  "  includes  the  study 
of  form  and  of  orchestration. 

t  I  mean  by  this,  in  abridging  these  names,  the  fundamental  in- 
struments of  the  orchestra  in  the  days  of  Haydn,  Mozart,  and 

[387] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

cussion  instruments  ;  history  of  music,  aesthetics  of  music, 
rights  and  duties.  (According  to  the  annual  schedule,  the 
following  additional  courses  may  be  undertaken  :  Declama- 
tion and  gesture,  history  and  geography,  musical  paleog- 
raphy, dramatic  and  jx>etic  literature,  arithmetic,  Latin, 
French,  Italian,  and  other  living  languages.) 

At  the  Royal  Conservatory  of  Naples  (1537),  also 
supported  by  the  State,  and  possessing  additional 
revenues,  there  are  several  categories:  day -scholars 
who  pay  $12  per  annum,  from  which  the  needy  are 
exempt;  boarders  who  have  to  pay  $36  entrance  fee 
and  $80  per  annum ;  and  there  are  other  boarders, 
called  gratuitous,  who  pay  only  the  entrance  fee. 

One  can  be  admitted  from  the  age  of  9,  except  for 
the  singing-classes,  in  which  the  age  of  16  is  the  least 
required  for  women,  and  17  for  men;  a  good  physical 
constitution  and  a  certificate  of  study  are  required ; 
moreover,  an  elementary  proof  of  aptitude  for  the 
chosen  class  must  be  furnished.  There  are  every  year 
about  300  pupils  distributed  among  36  professors. 

Composition,  counterpoint,  and  harmony,  military  instru- 
mentation, solfeggio  and  theory  ;  singing ;  scenic  art ; 
piano,  organ,*  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  or- 
chestra, and  trombone  ;  ensemble  for  piano  and  instru- 
ments, for  quartet,  and  for  wind-instruments ;  history  of 

Beethoven  :  violin,  viola,  violoncello,  double-bass,  flute,  oboe,  clar- 
inet, bassoon,  horn,  and  trumpet,  which  are  necessarily  taught 
everywhere. 

*  In  Catholic  countries  the  study  of  the  organ  is  generally  com- 
bined with  that  of  improvization  ;  in  Protestant  countries,  they 
are  independent,  and  the  organ  is  considered  solely  as  an  instru- 
ment. 

[388] 


VARIOUS    KINDS    OF    INSTRUCTION 

music,  modern  history,  geography,  arithmetic,  poetry,  and 
dramatic  literature  ;  French  and  Italian. 

The  Royal  Conservatory  of  Milan  (1807),  called 
"  Verdi  Conservatory,"  receives  about  250  scholars 
and  distributes  them  among  the  various  classes  and 
various  grades,  according  to  ability,  by  means  of  ex- 
aminations that  take  place  every  October,  and  for 
these  one  has  to  put  one's  name  down  in  advance, 
producing  certificates  of  good  conduct,  good  consti- 
tution and  literary  studies;  one  also  has  to  prove  a 
knowledge  of  the  Italian  language.  New  pupils  are 
not  accepted  until  there  are  vacancies.  Candidates 
for  examination  in  composition  pay  170  lire;  in  all 
the  other  branches  the  price  is  150  lire.  This  estab- 
lishment has  46  professors  and  is  supported  by  the 
State. 

Composition,  counterpoint  and  fugue,  harmony,  military 
instrumentation,  theory,  singing ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all 
the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  trombone,  cornet. 

That  of  Florence  (1860)  (Regio  Istituto  mn- 
sicale),  which,  in  addition  to  its  subsidy,  possesses  a 
rich  endowment,  counts  26  professors  and  more  than 
200  pupils. 

Composition,  counterpoint  and  fugue,  reading  of  scores, 
accompaniment  of  figured  bass,  solfeggio  and  theory  ;  sing- 
ing ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic 
orchestra,  trombone  ;  aesthetics. 

At   the   Royal    Conservatory   of   Palermo    (1615) 
supported  by  the  town  and  State,  there  are  28  pro- 
[389] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

fessors  and  an  average  of  150  scholars,  who  are  not 
received  until  the  age  of  10  or  12 ;  an  application  has 
to  be  addressed  before  September  15.  There  is  an 
entrance  fee  of  50  lire  for  each ;  then  the  annual  pay- 
ment is  400  lire  for  some,  and  200  for  others ;  there 
are  also  some  free  places. 

Composition,  military  instrumentation  ;  singing,  choral 
ensemble  ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the 
classic  orchestra ;  trombone. 

There  is  also  a  little  Royal  Conservatoire  in  Parma, 
which  takes  pupils  from  9  to  24  years,  according  to 
course,  and  collects  a  very  modest  annual  fee:  15 
lire,  or  even  as  low  as  8.50  for  poor  pupils.  Besides 
these,  there  are  boarders  who  pay  600  lire,  and  wear 
a  uniform.  The  applications  for  admission  are  re- 
ceived up  to  October  1.  There  are  12  professors  and 
a  hundred  pupils. 

Composition,  counterpoint,  harmony,  solfeggio,  theory, 
dictation ;  singing ;  piano,  organ,  all  the  instruments  of 
the  classic  orchestra,  trombone  ;  history  of  music. 

I  believe  that  there  are  no  other  Government  schools 
in  Italy.  These  that  follow  are  solely  dependent  upon 
the  Municipalities. 

The  Istituto  Musicale  of  Turin  (1865)  is  di- 
vided into  three  schools:  preparatory,  principal  and 
complementary.  Pupils  are  admitted  from  the  age 
of  8  to  20,  always  according  to  the  classes,  if  the  re- 
quest is  addressed  before  October  6.  The  provisional 
[390] 


VARIOUS    KINDS    OF    INSTRUCTION 

admission  is  5  lire;  that  of  definite  admission  is  10 
lire,  to  which  10  lire  must  still  be  added  for  the  enrol- 
ment fee.  The  price  of  the  courses  varies  from  10  to 
100  lires,  and  the  examination  fee  for  a  degree  costs 
20  lires. 

The  number  of  pupils  is  determined  each  year  by 
the  Director,  according  to  the  schedule. 

Composition,  counterpoint  and  fugue  (obligatory  in  the 
classes  of  composition  and  organ),  harmony  (obligatory  for 
the  organ  class),  solfeggio  spoken,  solfeggio  sung,  theory, 
rhythmical  and  melodir*  dictation  (obligatory  for  all)  ;  sing- 
ing, choral  singing ;  piano  (obligatory  for  all  the  instru- 
mental classes),  organ  (obligatory  for  all  the  composition 
classes),  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra, 
trombone,  string-quartet,  ensemble  (obligatory  for  all)  ; 
history,  geography,  Italian. 

The  Liceo  musicale  of  Bologna  (1864)  numbers  26 
professors  for  about  200  pupils. 

Composition,  counterpoint,  harmony ;  singing  ;  piano, 
organ,  harp  and  all  orchestral  instruments. 

At  Genoa  (1829)  the  Civico  Istituto  di  musica, 
where  200  pupils,  paying  an  annual  fee  of  from  10 
to  50  lire,  according  to  the  course,  receive  lessons 
from  17  professors,  being  admitted  at  the  age  of  9, 
if  they  prove  their  qualifications. 

Harmony,  solfeggio,  elementary  theory  ;  singing,  choral 
singing  ;  piano,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra, 
trombone,  piccolo.  (Courses  planned  for  organ  and  harp.) 

[391] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

There  are  still  a  number  of  other  schools,  having 
an  official  or  semi-official  character,  notably  in  Fer- 
rara,  Lucca,  Perugia,  Padua,  which  are  not  without 
interest.  . 

At  the  Liceo  Civico  Benedetto  Marcellc  of  Venice 
(1877),  which  receives  no  aid,  they  collect:  5  lires 
to  pass  the  examination  for  admission ;  then  a  fee  of 
20  lire  for  final  matriculation.  The  price  of  the 
courses,  according  to  their  importance,  varies  from  20 
to  100  lire  a  year.  The  pupils  are  received  from  the 
age  of  8  (solfeggio)  up  to  22  (singing,  men).  There 
are  19  professors  and  about  146  pupils. 

The  Liceo  confers  two  kinds  of  diplomas ;  the  nor- 
mal diploma,  which  is  a  certificate  of  study ;  and  the 
higher  diploma,  which  may  even  be  given  to  candi- 
dates who  are  not  pupils  of  the  Liceo,  who  for  this 
purpose  undergo  a  special  examination. 

Composition,  counterpoint  and  fugue,  harmony,  solfeggio 
and  theory ;  singing ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instru- 
ments of  the  classic  orchestra,  trombone,  bombardon. 

The  Conservatory  of  Pesaro  (1883),  one  of  the 
most  recent  in  Italy,  was  founded  by  a  legacy  of 
Rossini,  whence  comes  its  name  of  Liceo  Musicale 
Rossini;  it  is  placed  under  the  communal  administra- 
tion. According  to  the  testator's  wish,  composition 
and  the  art  of  singing  are  specially  taught  there. 

The  minimum  age  is  9  years ;  the  maximum  from 

12   to   18    for   instrumentalists,    and    20    to   21    for 

singers ;  the  rules  require  a  certain  degree  of  primary 

instruction,  talent   and  a   good   constitution.      They 

[392] 


VARIOUS    KINDS    OF    INSTRUCTION 

specify  that  neither  the  blind  *  nor  deaf-mutes  f 
shall  be  admitted.  The  teaching  is  gratuitous;  how- 
ever, a  fee  of  120  lire  is  collected  for  the  examina- 
tions of  the  complementary  subjects,  literature,  etc., 
etc.  There  are  23  professors  and  about  110  pupils, 
a  few  of  whom  receive  scholarships. 

Diplomas  are  given  for  composition,  licence  of  in- 
struments or  singing,  military  music  and  teaching. 

Composition,  counterpoint,  harmony ;  singing  ;  piano, 
organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra, 
trombone. 

This  will  suffice  to  give  us  a  view  of  the  official 
teaching  in  Italy.  As  may  be  seen,  these  various 
schools,  although  having  points  of  contact  and  re- 
semblance, differ  as  greatly  in  their  programmes  of 
study  as  in  their  importance,  tariff,  and  conditions  of 
admission. 

GERMANY  possesses  large  and  remarkable  Schools 
of  Music,  scattered  far  and  wide.  We  can  cite  here 
only  a  small  number,  but  these  will  be  sufficient  to 
show  that  they  present,  independently  of  their  indi- 
vidual worth,  a  homogeneity  that  does  not  exist 
among  the  Italian  schools. 

First  of  all,  there  is  in  Berlin,  largely  subsidized 
by  the  State,  the  Royal  Academy  of  Musical  Art 
(1822),  which  is,  in  some  measure,  a  normal  school, 
for  it  has  no  elementary  classes,  and  the  pupils,  who 

*  This  may  be  wrong,  for  they  are  often  well  endowed  musically 
t  Here  they  are  certainly  right. 

26  [  393  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

have  to  be  at  least  16,  are  not  admitted  until  after 
an  examination  in  which  they  have  to  make  proof  of 
a  certain  degree  of  instruction.  They  are  taught  by 
45  eminent  professors,  and  number  approximately 
280,  paying  a  contribution  of  from  30  to  300  marks, 
according  to  the  classes. 

The  Royal  Academy  of  Fine- Arts  is  divided  into 
several  sections:  the  Royal  Institute  of  Church  Mu- 
sic, which  gives  gratuitous  instruction  to  20  pupils; 
the  Institute  for  pupils  in  Compositior ;  and  the  In- 
stitute for  the  practice  of  music,  of  which  this  is  a 
summary  of  the  programme: 

Composition,  scoring,  theory  ;  singing,  physiology  of  the 
voice,  hygiene  for  singers ;  declamation,  dramatic  art ; 
piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  or- 
chestra, trombone,  ensemble  music,  military  music  ;  acous  • 
tics,  history  of  music,  Italian. 

The  Leipzig  Conservatory  (1843),  has  for  a  long 
time  stood  at  the  head  of  all  establishments  of  this 
kind  in  Germany,  and  justly  retains  its  renown,  for 
it  has  produced,  in  every  branch,  most  remarkable 
artists.  It  is  not  subsidized,  but  it  possesses  a  guar- 
antee from  the  State  and  from  the  city  of  Leipzig. 
The  number  of  professors  is  41 ;  that  of  the  pupils 
may  be  estimated  at  900;  they  are  received  after  ex- 
amination and  pay  a  fee  of  360  marks  if  they  wish 
to  follow  all  the  courses,  10  marks  more  for  the  ex- 
pense of  enrolment,  and  1  mark  for  a  card  of 
identity. 

[394] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF   INSTRUCTION 

Composition,  form,  instrumentation,  counterpoint  and 
fugue,  harmony,  scoring  ;  singing,  chorus,  declamation, 
dramatic  and  scenic  art,  opera  ;  piano,  organ,  all  the  instru- 
ments of  tha  classic  orchestra,  cor  anglais,  trombone,  quar- 
tet and  orchestra,  ensemble ;  history  of  music,  aesthetics, 
metre ;  Italian  (the  piano  is  obligatory  for  all  pupil?  in 
singing). 

At  Dresden,  the  Royal  Conservatory  (1856), 
holds  examinations  for  admission  twice  a  year,  April 
1st  and  September  1st.  Natives  and  strangers  have  to 
pay  first  50  marks  for  the  right  of  registry,  then 
from  200  to  500  marks  according  to  the  classes,  plus 
the  expenses  of  examination.  However,  several  schol- 
arships, complete  or  partial,  are  reserved  for  Germans 
and  citizens  of  Dresden.  There  have  been  as  many  as 
1,286  pupils;  the  number  of  professors  attached  to 
this  establishment,  which  receives  at  once  subsidies 
from  the  King,  the  State  and  the  City  and  from  a 
Society  of  patronage,  is  also  respectable, — about  125. 
Certificates  and  diplomas  of  honour  are  given  after 
the  examination  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

Composition,  form  (historical  development  of  forms  of 
composition),  counterpoint,  fugue,  harmony,  scoring,  con- 
ducting of  orchestra,  accompaniment,  study  of  teaching 
(theory,  piano,  singing),  theory ;  singing,  chorus,  opera, 
opera-comique  and  other  kinds,  declamation,  oratory,  en- 
semble and  mise  en  scene  for  the  opera  and  theatre ;  piano, 
organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra, 
tuba,  ensemble,  chamber-music,  orchestra,  orchestra  and 
chorus  ;  history  of  music,  literature  ;  French,  Italian- 
[395] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Important  also  is  the  Conservatory  of  Cologne 
(1850),  subsidized  at  the  same  time  by  the  State, 
Town,  and  Province,  with  40  professors  and  more 
than  500  pupils,  who  are  received  after  examination 
and  must  be  at  least  13  years  old;  for  the  singing- 
classes  the  women  have  to  be  16  and  the  men  18. 
There  is  an  entrance  fee  of  20  marks  and  the  cost  of 
the  classes  is  from  60  to  450  marks  a  year ;  moreover, 
there  are  some  rehearsals  and  supplementary  classes. 

Composition,  instrumentation,  counterpoint,  harmony, 
scoring,  sight-reading,  theory,  solfeggio,  dictation  ;  singing, 
vocal  ensemble,  choral  ensemble ;  declamation,  scenic  art, 
opera  ensemble,  acting  ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instru- 
ments of  the  classic  orchestra,  string  quartet,  ensemble  of 
wind-instruments,  instrumental  ensemble,  orchestra ;  his- 
tory of  music,  liturgy,  pedagogy,  literature  ;  Italian. 

The  Royal  Conservatory  of  Stuttgart  (1856), 
presents  a  peculiarity  that  we  have  not  met  with  else- 
where: it  is  divided  into  a  School  to  produce  artists, 
which  is  the  Conservatory  proper,  and  another  school 
of  music  for  amateurs;  and  the  artists  have  to  pay 
more  for  their  education  than  the  amateurs,  for  whom 
it  is  probably  thought  a  more  summary  education  is 
sufficient.  For  artists,  the  price  of  the  classes  is  60 
marks  and  80  marks  for  the  higher  classes  of  sing- 
ing. (Four  scholarships  are  reserved  for  indigent 
pupils.)  For  amateurs,  the  price  is  only  from  4  to 
50  marks.  If  one  wants  to  attend  all  the  classes  to- 
gether, it  is  360  marks. 

There  are  about  40  professors  and  500  pupils,  but 
[396] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OP  INSTRUCTION 

I  am  ignorant  of  the  proportion  of  artists  and  ama- 
teurs. 

This  establishment,  which  receives  feeble  help  from 
the  King,  State  and  the  Town,  to  which  is  added  a  lit- 
tle capital  provided  by  Queen  Olga  of  Wiirternberg, 
has  particularly  formed  excellent  pianists. 

Form,  instrumentation,  counterpoint,  harmony,  reading 
of  scores,  theory,  musical  dictation  ;  singing,  choral  en- 
semble ;  declamation,  scenic  art ;  piano,  organ,  all  the  in- 
struments of  the  classic  orchestra,  ensemble  of  strings,  en- 
semble of  strings  and  piano,  orchestra ;  history  of  music, 
aesthetics  of  the  piano,  aesthetics  and  literature,  Italian. 

The  young  Conservatory  of  Hanover  (1897), 
which  is  supported  only  by  the  municipality  of  that 
city,  has  adopted  a  similar  plan ;  the  price  for  artists 
is  from  45  to  200  marks,  while  for  amateurs  it  is  re- 
duced to  from  6  to  60  marks.  There  are  already  550 
pupils  for  32  professors. 

Syntax  (harmony  and  counterpoint),  scoring ;  singing, 
choral  ensemble  ;  drama,  lyrical  drama  ;  piano,  organ,  har- 
monium, harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra, 
trombone,  instrumental  ensemble,  orchestra ;  history  ol 
music ;  Italian. 

Another  important  school  is  the  Conservatory  of 
Munich  (1867),  its  real  name  being  the  Royal  Acad- 
emy of  Music,  with  300  pupils  and  36  professors. 

Composition,    counterpoint    (obligatory    for    the    organ 
pupils),  scoring    and    conducting,  harmony   (obligatory), 
[397] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

theory ;  singing,  chorus  (obligatory)  ;  dictation,  theatrical 
art,  opera  ;  dance,  fencing  ;  piano  (obligatory),  organ,  harp, 
all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  cornet,  trom- 
bone, kettledrums,  chamber-music,  quartet,  orchestra  ;  his- 
tory of  music  (obligatory),  liturgy  ;  Italian. 

Moreover,  schools  of  music  exist  in  most  of  the 
large  cities,  such  as  Frankfort  (I860),  Carlsruhe 
(1884),  Weimar  (1872),  Hamburg. 

The  Swiss  government  seems  to  be  completely  un- 
interested in  the  fate  of  schools  of  music,  which  have 
to  be  self-supporting.  The  State,  however,  in  1856, 
gave  the  land  on  which  is  built  the  handsome  edifice 
of  the  Conservatory  in  Geneva,  which  was  established 
in  1835,  thanks  to  the  generosity  of  some  rich  philan- 
thropists of  Geneva  who  were  great  lovers  of  music. 
Each  branch  is  divided  into  three  grades,  and,  more- 
over, there  is  a  finishing  class,  called  normal  class,  the 
pupils  of  which  are  compelled  to  take  lessons  in  com- 
position, fugue,  transposition,  history  of  music  and 
pedagogy.  The  price  varies  from  20  to  200  francs  a 
year. 

This  Conservatory,  which  employs  52  professors 
and  20  substitutes,  gives  instruction  to  1,250  pupils, 
who  receive  after  annual  examinations  rewards  con- 
sisting of  silver  and  bronze  medals  and  accessits.  A 
so-called  honour-prize  can  be  accorded  to  the  pupil, 
who,  during  a  succession  of  years  distinguishes  him- 
self exceptionally.  Here  is  the  condensed  pro- 
gramme : 

[398] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

Composition,  improvisation,  instrumentation,  harmony, 
accompaniment,  solfeggio,  theory ;  vocalization  and  art  of 
singing,  reading  at  sight  (singing)  ;  lyrical  diction,  decla- 
mation ;  piano,  organ,  harmonium,  harp,  all  the  instruments 
of  the  classic  orchestra,  reading  at  sight  (instrumental), 
quartet,  orchestra ;  history  of  music,  history  of  form  and 
musical  styles. 

Although  of  far  less  importance  and  not  to  be  com- 
pared to  it,  we  must  note  the  existence  of  the  Acad- 
emy of  Music  (1886),  also  in  Geneva,  a  private  es- 
tablishment, the  pupils  of  which  vary  in  number 
between  100  and  200,  with  a  variable  number  of  pro- 
fessors, and  sometimes  virtuosi  who  are  passing 
through  and  who  are  seized  in  their  flight  for  a  series 
of  lessons,  which  has  its  interest ;  at  the  present  mo- 
ment, it  seems  to  have  about  16  stationary  ones  on 
duty.  The  tariff  of  the  courses  varies  from  50  to  300 
francs  a  year.  Reports  of  study  and  diplomas  are 
given  at  the  end  of  the  studies. 

Composition,  instrumentation,  counterpoint,  harmony, 
solfeggio;  singing,  vocal  ensemble,  diction,  orthophonie ; 
piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  or- 
chestra, guitar  (!),  reading  at  sight,  ensemble  of  violins, 
instrumental  ensemble  ;  history  ;  Italian, 

At  the  "School  of  Music,"  in  Berne  (1815), 
which  has  only  11  professors  for  300  pupils,  the  pro- 
gramme is  infinitely  more  restricted  than  one  would 
expect  in  a  city  of  its  importance,  and  in  a  country 
where  musical  instinct  is  far  from  being  deficient. 
[399] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

This  establishment,  which  is  quite  old,  lives,  however, 
by  means  of  its  own  resources. 

The  pupils  pay  from  10  to  140  Frs.  according  to 
the  classes  (10  for  chorus  classes  and  140  for  ad- 
vanced piano). 

Harmony,  singing,  chorus ;  piano,  organ,  violin,  violon- 
cello (the  programme  provides  for  courses  in  quartets, 
ensemble  and  wind-instruments  when  the  state  of  the 
funds  permits). 

There  are  other  schools,  especially  in  Bale,  Zurich 
and  Lausanne,  but  I  am  not  sufficiently  informed 
about  them. 

In  AUSTRIA,  the  Conservatory  of  the  Society  of  the 
Friends  of  Music  in  Vienna  (1817),  receives  grants 
from  the  Emperor,  the  State,  the  Provinces  of  the 
North-East,  the  Commune,  and  the  Court  Theatre. 
Pupils  are  admitted  from  10  to  24  years  of  age  ac- 
cording to  the  classes ;  they  have  to  be  well  consti- 
tuted and  know  how  to  speak  German.  The  payment 
varies,  according  to  the  importance  of  the  class,  from 
40  to  400  kronen.  There  are  61  professors  for  950 
pupils. 

Composition,  counterpoint,  harmony  ;  singing,  dramatic 
art,  dramaturgy  general,  diction,  opera ;  acting,  dancing, 
fencing  and  gymnastics ;  clavier,  piano,  organ,  harp,  all 
the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  trombone  ;  history 
of  music  ;  French,  Italian. 

[400] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF   INSTRUCTION 

Hungary  possesses  at  Budapest  the  Royal  and 
National  Academy  of  Music  (1874),  where  children 
are  received  from  8  to  12  years,  and  singing  pupils 
from  18  for  the  men  and  15  for  the  women.  There 
is  an  examination  for  admission,  in  which  evidence 
must  be  given  of  a  little  knowledge  of  the  specialty 
to  which  the  pupil  is  destined ;  however,  for  the  harp, 
the  Cembalo  *  and  the  wind-instruments,  no  previous 
knowledge  is  exacted,  and  the  course  begins  with  the 
most  elementary  grades. 

One  has  to  pay,  first,  10  crowns  for  the  right  pf 
enrolment,  which  is  renewed  every  year;  then  50  or 
60  crowns  up  to  200,  according  to  the  rank  of  the 
class.  However,  the  teaching  is  gratuitous  for  the 
viola  and  wind-instruments;  there  are  also  scholar- 
ships for  the  pupils  who  appear  to  be  gifted,  unfortu- 
nate and  whose  parents  are  interesting.  At  each  pe- 
riod of  study  a  pupil  may  be  turned  out  if  he  does  not 
progress. 

There  are  38  professors,  two  auxiliaries  for  the 
scenic  studies,  and  about  350  pupils. 

The  Academy  of  Music  receives  many  grants  from 
the  State  and  City,  and  others  from  individuals,  foun- 
dations, etc. 

Composition,!  theory ;  singing,  chorus  and  solfeggio ; 
declamation,  dramatic  singing,  opera ;  dancing,  fencing, 
scenic  exercises ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  cembalo,  all  the  in- 
struments of  the  classic  orchestra,  trombone,  chamber- 

*  Instrument  peculiar  to  Hungary, 

f  Including  orchestration,  counterpoint  and  harmony. 

[401] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

music,  ensemble  of  wind-instruments,  orchestra,  course  of 
teaching  the  piano ;  history  of  music,  liturgy,  pedagogy, 
aesthetics,  poetics,  methods;  history  of  Hungarian  litera- 
ture ;  Italian. 

The  Conservatories  of  Roumania  are  entirely  un- 
der the  charge  of  the  State.  In  that  of  Bucharest 
(1865),  one  can  be  received  between  10  and  18  years, 
after  proving  some  literary  knowledge  as  well  as 
qualifications  for  the  classes  desired.  The  price  of 
these  classes  ranges  from  20  to  100  francs  for  the 
Roumanians  and  from  40  to  200  for  strangers,  but 
many  dispensations  are  granted.  The  number  of 
pupils  is  380,  who  receive  lessons  from  25  professors. 

Composition,  counterpoint;  harmony,  theory  ;  singings 
solfeggio,  choral  ensemble ;  declamation  and  lyrical  drama, 
piano,  organ,  harp,  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra, 
trombone. 

At  the  Conservatory  of  Jassy  (1860),  the  condi- 
tions of  admission  and  the  fees  are  identical,  on  ac- 
count of  the  limited  number  of  professors,  who  are 
only  12  for  350  pupils ;  admission  is  granted  by  means 
of  a  competition,  which  takes  place  September  1. 

When  their  resources  permit,  the  best  pupils  of 
these  two  establishments  generally  go  to  Vienna  or 
Paris  to  finish  their  studies  and  perfect  themselves. 

Harmony,  theory  and  solfeggio ;  singing ;  declamation ; 
piano,  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  trombone. 

There  is  only  one  Conservatory  in  Greece,  that  of 
Athens  (1871),  which  receives  pupils  from  the  whole 
[402] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

Orient.  It  is  not  subsidized  by  the  State,  which, 
nevertheless,  takes  an  interest  in  it  and  directs  it ;  it 
owes  its  existence  to  two  very  rich  Philhellenes  and 
to  certain  Greek  colonies  in  other  countries  that  have 
given  large  sums  of  money  to  the  Hellenic  Govern- 
ment for  this  purpose.  They  have  20  professors, 
each  of  whom  has  an  assistant ;  the  number  of  pupils 
is  now  more  than  300,  of  whom  50  receive  gratuitous 
instruction ;  for  the  others,  the  expenses  amount  to 
from  $9  to  $36  a  year,  and  there  are  in  addition  cer- 
tain fees  for  admission  and  $6  for  a  diploma. 

At  the  examinations  for  admission,  which  take  place 
in  September,  the  pupil  has  to  give  proof  of  certain 
musical  knowledge;  the  limit  of  age  is  from  9  to  19 
for  men  and  9  to  17  for  women.  The  distribution  of 
rewards  is  very  intelligently  arranged :  at  the  exami- 
nations at  the  end  of  the  year  the  pupils  whose  studies 
are  considered  as  complete  receive  diplomas,  the  num- 
ber of  which  is  not  limited,  and  which  constitute  a 
kind  of  baccalaureate-in-music ;  but  beyond  that  there 
is  a  special  competition  for  three  gold  medals,  and 
still  another  competition  to  obtain  the  scholarships 
for  the  academic  year;  and  then,  as  a  means  of  en- 
couragement, 1st  and  2d  prizes  and  1st  and  2d  ac- 
cessits  are  bestowed. 

Composition  and  counterpoint,  harmony,  reading  of 
scores,  orchestration,  solfeggio  and  theory ;  singing,  en- 
semble vocal  music;  declamation;  dancing,  fencing,  gym- 
nastics ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the 
classic  orchestra,  trombone,  tuba,  ensemble  instrumenta? 
music,  orchestra  ;  history  of  music,  history  of  the  theatre^, 
[403] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Aesthetics,  mythology,  psychology,  the  art  of  costume, 
rhythm  and  metre,  literature  ;  French  and  Italian  (obli- 
gatory for  pupils  for  the  stage). 

The  principal  Conservatory  of  RUSSIA  is  that  of 
St.  Petersburg  (1862),  which  receives  from  the  State 
(Minister  of  the  Interior)  a  fairly  good  subsidy,  be- 
sides which  numerous  scholarships  (more  than  200 
in  1898-9)  are  liberally  distributed  by  the  Emperor, 
the  Empress,  grand  dignitaries  of  the  State,  by  the 
Department  of  the  Navy,  the  Department  of  War, 
by  other  establishments  and  by  the  Conservatory 
itself,  which  reduces  the  number  of  pay  pupils  to  a 
small  enough  fraction  of  the  whole.  For  those,  the 
annual  due  is  200  roubles. 

The  total  number  of  pupils  is  about  800,  who  re- 
ceive instruction  from  89  professors  or  substitutes. 
Here  is  the  way  in  which  this  very  complete  instruc- 
tion is  divided  and  taught  by  the  celebrated  masters 
of  the  Russian  school : 

Composition,  instrumentation,  conducting  of  an  orches- 
tra, harmony  and  counterpoint,  theory,  solfeggio  ;  singing, 
church  singing,  chorus ;  declamation,  opera,  preparation 
for  the  stage,  scenic  ensemble,  dancing ;  piano,  organ,  harp, 
all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  cornet,  trom- 
bone, tuba,  instruments  of  percussion,  quartets,  many 
classes  of  ensemble  instruments,  string  and  wind,  with 
or  without  piano,  orchestra ;  religion,  history  of  music 
and  aesthetics,  history  and  geography,  mathematics,  phys- 
ics, calligraphy,  general  literature ;  Russian,  German, 
Italian. 

[404] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF   INSTRUCTION 

In  the  second  place  comes  that  of  Moscow  (1864), 
elegantly  installed  since  1898  in  a  beautiful  edifice 
that  unites  all  the  qualities  of  a  comfortable  school, 
sheltering  a  body  of  60  professors  and  600  pupils 
aged  from  10  to  30  years,  who  pay  200  roubles  a 
year.  There  are  a  certain  number  of  scholarships 
destined  for  poor  scholars  and  exclusive  talents. 

This  establishment  is  subsidized  by  the  State. 
After  having  terminated  the  complete  course  of  his 
specialty  and  that  of  the  accessory  subjects  and  the 
scientific  course,  the  pupil  obtains  a  diploma  or  a  cer- 
tificate. 

Composition,  form,  orchestration,  fugue,  counterpoint, 
harmony  (obligatory),  theory  (obligatory),  .solfeggio  (obli- 
gatory); singing,  piano,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the 
classic  orchestra  ;  musical  encyclopaedia  (obligatory),  his- 
tory of  music  (obligatory),  scientific  classes  (the  programme 
of  which  corresponds  to  that  of  the  five  classes  of  the  Rus- 
sian gymnasium),  history  of  art  and  literature. 

The  oldest  of  all  is  that  of  Warsaw  (1821),  which 
bears  the  title  of  "  Institut  Musical  "  and  comprises 
37  professors  for  500  pupils  approximately.  Here 
pupils  are  received  from  the  age  of  12  to  20  years ;  an 
exception  is  made  for  those  of  remarkable  talents. 

The  expenses  of  study  are  from  50  to  100  roubles 
a  year.  A  modest  sum  is  granted  by  the  Treasury. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  examinations:  the  exami- 
nation of  admission ;  examinations  at  the  end  of  the 
year;  and  examinations  at  the  end  of  study.     The 
programme  is  of  somewhat  small  compass : 
[405] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

Composition  ;  solo  singing ;  piano,  organ,  stringed  in- 
struments ;  flute,  clarinet,  bassoon,  cornet,  horn,  trombone. 

The  Institute  of  music  in  Helsingfors  (Finland) 
is  divided  into  a  preparatory  school  and  an  advanced 
school,  where  admission  is  by  means  of  examinations; 
in  the  first  one  pays  125  francs  a  year;  in  the  second 
200  or  250. 

The  pupils  of  the  preparatory  school  have  to  fol- 
low at  the  same  time  the  course  of  the  Lycee,  or  to 
pursue  their  education  in  some  other  manner. 

To  a  somewhat  large  grant  from  the  Russian  Gov- 
ernment, is  added  some  aid  from  the  Musical  Society 
of  Helsingfors.  This  establishment,  the  programme 
of  which  announces  elevated  tendencies,  includes  only 
15  professors  and  about  150  pupils. 

Composition  and  instrumentation,  counterpoint  and 
fugue,  harmony  (given  theme),  harmony  (in  general  bass) 
(obligatory),  theory  general  and  analytical  (obligatory), 
solfeggio  and  dictation  (obligatory) ;  singing,  vocal  en- 
semble and  chorus ;  dictation  ;  stage  deportment ;  piano, 
organ,  violin,  viola,  violoncello,  brass  instruments,  chamber 
instruments ;  history  of  music  (obligatory) ;  theory  and 
practice  of  musical  teaching. 

If  we  pass  into  BOHEMIA,  we  find  a  very  fine  Con- 
servatory in  Prague  (1808);  good  faith  forces  me 
to  say  that  my  information  is  of  the  date  1858!  But 
this  is  none  the  less  interesting,  for  it  shows  how  very 
far  advanced  the  studies  were  at  this  period ;  the  pro- 
gramme might  have  been  made  yesterday,  and  I  have 
[406] 


VARIOUS   KINDS   OF   INSTRUCTION 

good  reasons  to  believe  that  it  has  not  deteriorated, 
but  that  it  has  kept  in  the  line  of  progress. 

Now  in  that  far-away  period,  they  had  already  at 
the  said  Conservatory  of  Prague  19  professors  *  and 
138  pupils,f  who  paid  an  entrance  fee  of  from  4  to 
20  florins  according  to  the  classes,  and  were  subject 
to  various  other  fees  in  addition  to  money  fines,  a 
proof  of  severe  discipline.  They  were  admitted  be- 
tween 10  and  13  years,:):  by  proving  a  good  consti- 
tution, musical  aptitude  (a  correct  ear),  and  some 
primary  instruction.  After  6  years  of  study,  they 
are  admitted  to  a  final  examination. 

They  had  even  then  grants  and  resources  of  divers 
natures,  which  have  suffered  modifications,  but  what 
is  really  remarkable  is  the  programme  of  study, 
which  was  already  very  complete,  and  which  has  even 
improved  since  then.  They  taught  there: 

Composition,  theory  ;  singing,  choruses  ;  lyric  declama- 
tion, theatrical  declamation  ;  dancing  and  theatrical  de- 
portment ;  piano,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic 
orchestra,  trombone,  cornet  a  pistons  ;  history  of  music, 
instrumental  and  theatrical  literature,  history,  prosody, 
mythology,  aesthetics,  style,  Catholic  religion,  geography, 
arithmetic,  calligraphy  ;  French,  German,  Italian. 

There  are  at  least  three  Conservatories  in  HOL- 
LAND, but  to  my  great  regret  I  lack  data  regarding 
one  of  them,— that  of  The  Hague  (1826). 

*  Now  there  are  2ft. 

f  Now  there  are  from  350  to  400. 

J  Now  14  years  and  knowing  something  already  about  music. 

[407] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

The  most  important  is  that  of  Amsterdam  (1862), 
dependent  upon  the  great  "  Society  for  the  Devel- 
opment and  Protection  of  Music,"  which  receives 
funds  from  the  Province,  the  City  and  individuals; 
they  do  not  reckon,  however,  more  than  80  pupils  for 
26  professors;  but  it  must  be  observed  that  by  the 
side  of  the  Conservatory  there  is  a  School  of  Music 
that  includes  more  than  700  pupils,  and  serves  as  a 
kind  of  nursery  for  it.  At  the  Conservatory  itself 
none  but  pupils  about  17  years  of  age  are  admitted, 
who  study  as  artists  and  who  are  already  sufficiently 
developed  to  enable  one  to  judge  of  their  talent  and 
of  their  future. 

The  fees  of  registration  amount  to  200  florins ; 
for  singing  lessons,  250;  preparatory  course,  150; 
solfeggio,  40.  .  .  .  Some  partial  or  even  total 
reductions  are  granted  on  the  request  of  the  director. 
At  the  end  of  three  years,  a  certificate  of  detailed 
studies  may  be  obtained. 

Composition,  counterpoint,  harmony,  solfeggio,  theory  ; 
singing,  solfeggio  and  chorus  ;  declamation,  diction,  deport- 
ment ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic 
orchestra  ;  history  of  music  ;  French,  German,  Italian. 

The  Conservatory  of  Rotterdam  (1845),  which 
modestly  enough  calls  itself  School  of  Music,  is  placed 
under  the  protection  of  the  same  big  society.  Its 
statutes  are  not,  however,  similar:  there  pupils  can 
be  received  at  the  age  of  8  years,  and,  at  the  end  of 
the  year, , diplomas  for  performers  and  teachers  are 
distributed.  There  are  21  professors  and  672  pupils: 
[408] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

Composition,  counterpoint,  harmony,  solfeggio  ;  singing, 
chorus ;  piano,  organ,  stringed  instruments,  wind  instru- 
ments, chamber-music,  orchestra  ;  history  of  music. 

I  believe  that  DENMARK  possesses  only  one  Con- 
servatory,—that  of  Copenhagen  (1867),  which  does 
not  seem  very  important.  It  receives  some  paying 
scholars,  whose  expenses  may  amount  to  from  22  to 
264  kronen,  but  it  admits  gratuitously  those  who  are 
unfortunate  and  well  endowed.  The  number  of  pro- 
fessors is  18  and  there  are  about  72  pupils.  The 
school  is  supported  by  a  testamentary  legacy,  ac- 
cording to  the  terms  of  which  the  pupils  cannot  num- 
ber more  than  50 ;  a  grant  of  the  State  allows  it  to 
extend  this  number. 

Analysis  and  form,  instrumentation,  counterpoint,  har- 
mony, musical  theory  ;  singing,  chorus ;  piano,  organ,  vio- 
lin, violoncello,  double  bass,  flute,  oboe,  clarinet,  bassoon, 
horn,  ensemble  music  and  orchestra ;  history  of  music ; 
German,  Italian. 

In  SWEDEN,  at  the  Royal  Conservatory  of  Stock- 
holm (1881?)  pupils  are  received  from  the  age  of  12 
to  20  years ;  however,  this  limit  can  be  extended  up 
to  25  years  for  candidates  for  the  classes  in  compo- 
sition, organ  and  singing.  The  courses  are  paying, 
and  the  admission  fee  is  7  florins;  there  are  some 
scholarships  for  indigent  pupils.  The  funds  are  pro- 
vided by  the  State,  which  largely  subsidizes  it.  The 
Royal  Theatre  adds  a  small  sum  for  the  support  of 
the  classes  in  opera  and  lyric  art.  The  average  num- 
27  [  409  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

ber  of  scholars  is  about  170,  with  27  professors. 
There  are  public  competitive  examinations  and  di- 
plomas for  organists,  maitres  de  chapelles,  leaders  of 
military  fanfares,  professors,  etc.,  etc. 

Composition,  counterpoint,  form,  instrumentation,  mili- 
tary instrumentation,  scoring,  harmony,  musical  divine  ser- 
vice, accompaniment,  solfeggio  and  church  singing;  singing, 
chorus,  vocal  ensemble ;  declamation,  opera,  scenic  art, 
study  of  roles;  deportment,  plastic  arts,  gymnastics,  bal- 
let ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  stringed  and  wind  instruments, 
ensemble,  orchestra  ;  history  of  music,  acoustics,  Italian  ; 
organ  and  piano  tuning. 


NORWAY,  a  very  musical  country,  has  the  Conser- 
vatory of  Christiania  (1865),  which  has  28  pro- 
fessors and  450  pupils.  The  price  runs  from  5  to  25 
kronen  a  year,  according  to  the  course ;  certain 
gratuitous  places  are  reserved  for  poor  and  well  en- 
dowed pupils.  One  can  be  admitted  between  12  and 
20  years,  by  means  of  examinations  that  take  place 
in  January  and  September.  The  rewards  consist  of 
books  of  music. 

The  State  as  well  as  a  special  society  furnishes  a 
subsidy ;  the  King  gives  some  scholarships. 

Composition,  instrumentation,  counterpoint,  harmony, 
practical  modulation,  musical  theory ;  singing,  chorus ; 
declamation,  deportment ;  piano,  organ,  harmonium,  all 
the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  ensemble ;  tuning 
of  the  piano  and  organ. 

[410] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

England  seems  to  possess  in  London,  and  in  the 
Guildhall  School  of  Music  (1880),  the  most  colossal 
school  of  music  in  the  world,  at  least  with  regard  to 
space  and  the  number  of  pupils,  which  is  not  less  than 
3,100.  I  believe  I  saw  somewhere  that  in  1896  there 
were  4,000 ;  in  comparison,  the  number  of  professors 
is  restricted  enough,  only  147. 

Into  this  establishment,  subsidized  by  the  City,  the 
pupils  are  admitted  without  any  age  limit,  on  the 
sole  condition  of  paying  a  fee  that  varies,  according 
to  the  classes  and  periods  of  study,  from  one  to 
six  guineas  a  quarter,  then  five  shillings  more  for 
an  entrance  fee,  and  five  shillings  deposit.  Each 
pupil,  no  matter  who  he  is,  must  pay  two  shillings 
and  five  pence  each  term.  Medals  of  gold,  silver  and 
bronze,  and  diplomas  are  distributed. 

Composition,  form,  analysis,  orchestration,  counterpoint, 
canon,  fugue,  harmony,  scores,  harmonization  at  first  sight 
on  the  piano,  figured  bass  at  first  sight  on  the  piano,  ac- 
companiment for  church  service,  conducting  of  orchestras 
and  chorus,  improvisation,  solfeggio,  theory,  dictation ; 
singing,  choruses,  choral  ensemble  ;  declamation;  gestures, 
deportment,  choregraphy,  fencing ;  piano,  organ,  harmo- 
nium, harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra, 
trombone  and  euphonium,  tuba,  cornet,  kettledrums,  guitar, 
mandolin,  chamber-music  of  strings  and  of  wind,  vocal, 
orchestra,  military  music ;  acoustics,  history  of  music ; 
French,  German,  Italian. 

There  are  many  other  schools  in  London ;  I  will 
mention  only  two  more:  the  Royal  Academy  of  Mu- 
[411]   ' 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

sic  (1822),  where  one  is  received  for  examination  in 
September,  November,  January,  February,  April 
and  June.  For  this  examination  one  guinea  is  first 
collected ;  then  the  price  of  the  course  varies  from  one 
guinea  to  eleven  pounds  one  shilling.  The  main- 
tenance is  assured  by  a  private  society  and  certificates 
of  study  are  bestowed.  There  are  131  professors  and 
about  500  pupils. 

Composition,  harmony  and  counterpoint,  theory,  solfeggio 
and  dictation  ;  singing,  chorus,  choral  ensemble  ;  diction 
and  declamation,  drama,  opera ;  deportment,  fencing  and 
physical  exercises,  dancing,  choregraphy ;  piano,  organ, 
harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  ensemble 
instrumental  music,  instrumental  and  vocal,  orchestra, 
military  music ;  French,  Italian,  English,  German. 

The  Royal  College  of  Music  (1876),  is  supported 
by  a  fund  and  diverse  gifts.  Admission  is  by  exami- 
nation and  without  limit  of  age.  Each  pupil  pays 
twelve  guineas  quarterly ;  the  entrance  fee  is  2  gui- 
neas, and  one  has  to  deposit  5  guineas  for  the  1st 
and  the  3d  examinations  and  2^  guineas  for  the  2d. 
A  certain  number  of  prizes,  some  of  which  owe  their 
origin  to  special  funds,  are  given  at  the  end  of  the 
yearly  examinations.  There  are  69  professors  and 
450  pupils. 

Composition,  orchestration,  harmony,  counterpoint,  anal- 
ysis, accompaniment,  scores,  solfeggio,  transposition,  dicta- 
tion and  theory ;  singing,  chorus ;  theatrical  art,  declama- 
tion, opera,  diction ;  deportment  and  choregraphj  ;  piano, 
[412] 


organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra, 
trombone,  kettledrum,  and  drum  orchestra,  military  music, 
chamber-music  strings  and  wind,  vocal ;  history  of  music  ; 
French,  Italian,  German. 

None  of  these  English  schools  seem  to  have  pro- 
duced, unless  by  exception,  great  artists  that  have 
made  a  sensation;  generally  speaking,  their  pupils 
who  have  futures  finish  their  studies  on  the  continent, 
— in  Germany,  Belgium  or  France. 

Before  leaving  England,  I  will  mention  the  Royal 
College  of  Music  in  Manchester,  whose  programme 
offers  a  few  interesting  peculiarities.  There  are  33 
professors ;  I  do  not  know  the  number  of  pupils.  One 
has  to  pay  30  pounds  a  year  and  3  guineas  more  for 
the  orchestra. 

Composition,  harmony  (obligatory) ;  singing,  chorus ; 
diction ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the 
classic  orchestra,  cor-anglais,  trombone,  double  bassoon, 
ensemble,  quartet,  orchestra  ;  history  of  music  ;  Italian. 

The  piano  is  obligatory  for  singers,  for  all  the  instru- 
mentalists, for  organists,  and  for  pupils  in  the  composition 
classes  ;  moreover,  the  pupils  in  composition  are  obliged 
to  learn  a  stringed  instrument ;  Italian  and  diction  are 
obligatory  for  the  pupils  of  singing ;  the  ensemble  is 
obligatory  for  all  the  instrumentalists,  and  also  the  or- 
chestra. 

The  most  important  school  in  SPAIN  is  the  Con- 
servatory of  Madrid  (1830),  subsidized  by  the  State, 
where  55  professors  give  instruction  to  nearly  1,600 
[413] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

pupils.  To  be  admitted,  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  lit- 
tle primary  instruction,  to  know  at  least  how  to  read 
and  write,  and  to  have  a  correct  ear.  To  enter  the 
classes  in  solfeggio  one  must  be  over  9  years ;  to 
enter  the  classes  for  singing  and  declamation  the 
women  must  be  at  least  15  and  the  men  16.  They 
pay  a  fee  of  15  pesetas  for  the  right  of  enrolment 
and  5  pesetas  for  the  examinations,  which  can  be  dis- 
pensed with  in  the  case  of  indigence.  Certificates  are 
given  at  the  end  of  study,  1st,  2d  and  3d  prizes,  and 
diplomas  of  master-composer,  for  which  150  pesetas 
have  to  be  paid  to  the  State. 

Counterpoint,  fugue  and  composition,  harmony,  solfeggio 
and  theory  ;  singing,  vocal  ensemble  ;  lyrical  declamation, 
declamation ;  piano,  organ,  harmonium,  harp,  all  the  in- 
struments of  the  classic  orchestra,  cornet  a  pistons,  trom- 
bone and  ophicleide,  chamber-music ;  history  and  phi- 
losophy of  music,  grammar  and  literature  ;  French,  Italian. 

Another  considerable  establishment  is  the  Conser- 
vatory of  Barcelona,  dependent  on  the  Lycee  of  Her 
Majesty  Isabella  II.,  where  each  pupil  pays  a  small 
monthly  fee,  which  they  try  to  make  as  small  as  pos- 
sible and  which  may  even  be  entirely  suppressed 
when  there  are  vacancies,  and  in  favour  of  interest- 
ing pupils  who  are  poor.  This  school,  which  is  sup- 
ported by  the  shareholders  of  the  Grand  Theatre,  the 
Municipality  and  the  Province,  numbers  42  profess- 
ors and  more  than  1,000  pupils,  who  receive  medals 
and  crowns  of  gold,  silver,  and  bronze ;  there  is  also 
a  competitive  examination  for  a  professor's  diploma. 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

Composition,  harmony,  transposition,  theory,  solfeggiot 
dictation ;  singing,  declamation ;  piano,  organ  and  har- 
monium, harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra, 
cor-anglais,  trombone,  bass-clarinet,  bugle  and  bass  tuba, 
guitar,  string-quartet ;  acoustics  and  history  of  music  ; 
French,  German,  English,  Italian. 

Less  important  is  the  School  of  Music  in  Sara- 
gossa,  whose  number  of  scholars  rarely  exceeds  250 
or  300,  with  14  professors  and  5  or  6  assistants. 
The  examination  fee  is  from  5  to  10  pesetas  and  the 
price  of  the  course  varies  between  20  and  80  pesetas. 
One  must  be  8  years  of  age  for  the  general  classes, 
and  15  for  those  of  singing.  The  town  furnishes  a 
slight  support.  They  bestow  diplomas,  and  1st  and 
2d  prizes. 

Foreign  pupils  can  present  themselves  at  this 
school  to  pass  examinations  called  "  free  instruc- 
tion," by  submitting  to  the  official  programme,  by 
means  of  a  fee  of  from  12  to  32  pesetas ;  these  exami- 
nations give  no  rights  to  the  rewards  of  the  school. 

Composition,  harmony,  solfeggio  ;  singing  ;  piano,  organ, 
harmonium,  violin  ;  French,  Italian. 

The  most  recent  of  the  Spanish  Conservatories  is 
that  of  Valencia  (1879),  slightly  aided  by  the 
municipality  and  the  provincial  deputation ;  the  sum 
for  matriculation  is  30  pesetas  for  solfeggio,  and  35 
pesetas  for  all  the  other  classes.  There  is,  moreover, 
an  examination  fee  of  2.50  pesetas;  the  candidates 
have  to  know  how  to  read  and  write.  There  are  at 
present  not  more  than  8  titulary  professors,  and  two 
[415] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

assistants,  and  260  pupils;  the  prizes  and  accessits 
consist  of  diplomas.  The  teaching  there  is  still  quite 
limited. 

Composition,  harmony,  solfeggio  ;  singing,  piano,  organ, 
harmonium,  harp,  instruments  played  with  the  bow,  flute, 
clarinet. 

If  we  pass  into  PORTUGAL,  we  shall  find  at  Lisbon, 
the  Royal  Conservatory,  which  is  very  important,  of 
whose  foundation  date  I  am  ignorant,  but  it  is  surely 
anterior  to  1835,  and  whose  expenses,  which  are  very 
considerable,  are  entirely  paid  by  the  State.  It  em- 
ploys 32  professors,  and  the  number  of  pupils,  rela- 
tively small,  is  about  300;  they  have  to  pay  only  a 
fee  of  registry,  which  is  from  2.50  francs  to  6  francs, 
according  to  the  classes  or  courses.  The  lowest  age 
for  admission  of  both  sexes,  for  foreigners  as  well  as 
for  the  Portuguese,  is  9  years;  however,  none  can  be 
admitted  into  the  classes  of  singing  or  declamation 
before  14  years  for  the  women  and  15  or  16  for  the 
men.  The  courses  are  held  from  October  to  June, 
and  the  year  ends  with  competitive  examinations, 
when  diplomas  of  honour,  prizes  and  accessits  are 
given.  The  programme  of  study  is  remarkably  com- 
plete : 

Composition,  counterpoint  and  fugue,  harmony,  piano 
accompaniment,  scores,  transposition,  theory  and  solfeggio  ; 
singing  ;  theatrical  song,  choruses  ;  theatrical  art,  lyrical 
declamation,  tragedy,  drama,  comedy  and  farce,  diction 
and  declamation,  recitation,  study  of  roles,  mimicry,  art 
of  costume,  theatrical  gymnastics,  fencing  ;  piano,  organ, 
[416] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  trom- 
bone, saxophone,  cornet,  chamber-music,  orchestra  ;  his- 
tory of  music  and  musical  literature,  universal  and  national 
history,  history  of  the  ancient  and  modern  theatre,  poetics, 
psychology,  general  grammar,  aesthetics,  reading,  geog- 
raphy, general  and  Portuguese  literature  ;  Italian  (obli- 
gatory for  pupils  in  singing  and  composition). 

In  BELGIUM,  there  is  first  of  all  the  Conservatory 
of  Brussels  (1813),  very  serious  and  important,  to 
which  one  is  admitted  by  an  examination  that  takes 
place  in  September,  if  a  primary  instruction  and  a 
satisfactory  conformation  arc  proved ;  the  natives 
pay  a  small  annual  sum  of  5  francs,  which  for  for- 
eigners is  raised  to  200  francs.  The  number  of  pro- 
fessors, tutors  or  monitors  is  about  70 ;  that  of  the 
pupils,  600.  At  the  examination  prizes,  mentions 
and  accessits  are  distributed. 

Counterpoint  and  fugue,  harmony,  plain-chant,  solfeggio 
and  theory ;  singing,  vocal  ensemble,  choral  ensemble ; 
declamation,  deportment  and  mimicry  ;  clavier,  piano, 
organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra, 
trombone,  saxophone,  chamber-music  for  strings  and  wind, 
orchestra. 

At  the  Royal  Conservatory  of  Liege  (1827),  the 
conditions  of  admission  and  the  prices  of  instruction 
are  the  same  as  at  Brussels.  There  are  35  professors 
for  500  pupils.  The  admission  day  is  in  October. 

Composition,  fugue,  harmony,  solfeggio  ;  singing  ;  piano, 
organ,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  cornet 
&  pistons,  trombone,  tuba,  chamber-music. 

[417] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

It  is  about  the  same  at  the  Royal  Conservatory  of 
Ghent  (1833),  which  employs  47  professors  and  in- 
structs 550  pupils  aged  seven  years  at  the  lowest. 
There  also  they  exact  primary  instruction,  and  the 
pupils  have  to  follow  it  up  and  bring  proof  with  cer- 
tificates. The  price  for  the  class  in  solfeggio  is 
%  fr.  50  quarterly,  and  for  the  pupils  of  instru- 
ments, 5  francs.  A  certain  number  of  free  places  are 
reserved  for  privates  in  the  army,  pupils  in  the  classes 
of  Netherlandish  singing,  children  of  destitute  pa- 
rents, etc.  At  Ghent  and  Liege  the  examinations 
give  prizes,  accessits,  and  medals  of  silver  and  enamel. 

Composition,  plain  chant,  practical  and  written  har- 
mony, reading  and  transposition  on  the  piano  ;  Netherland 
singing,  French  and  Italian,  vocal  ensemble  ;  scenic  art, 
French  declamation,  Netherland  declamation ;  deport- 
ment, mimicry,  calisthenics  ;  piano,  organ,  all  the  instru- 
ments of  the  classic  orchestra,  cor-anglais,  saxophone, 
trombone,  tuba,  cornet  and  bugle,  chamber-music,  string- 
quartet,  ensemble. 

At  Antwerp  (1867)  the  Royal  Flemish  Conserva- 
tory unites  the  respectable  number  of  1,200  pupils 
under  the  direction  of  only  43  professors.  The  maxi- 
mum payment  is  5  francs  for  the  natives  and  50 
francs  for  foreigners. 

Counterpoint  and  fugue,  harmony,  solfeggio ;  singing, 
vocal  ensemble  ;  Netherland  declamation,  lyrical  declama- 
tion ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic 
orchestra,  trombone,  chamber-music,  orchestra ;  ancient 
music,  Flemish  literature. 

[418] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

The  Belgian  Conservatories,  large  and  fine  schools 
that  have  furnished  an  ample  harvest  of  celebrated 
or  remarkable  artists,  all  receive  the  triple  subsidy 
of  State,  Province  and  Town. 

Finally,  in  France,  we  have  the  Conservatory  of 
Paris  (1795),  subsidized  by  the  State,  or,  to  speak 
more  correctly,  belonging  to  the  State,  whose  univer- 
sal renown  is  such  that  we  can  dispense  with  all  com- 
mentary, where  one  cannot  gain  admission  save  by 
a  series  of  eliminating  examinations  which  take  place 
every  year  in  the  month  of  October,  and  for  which  it 
is  necessary  to  furnish  proofs  of  a  certain  knowledge 
suitable  to  the  age.  The  age  for  admission  in  theo- 
retical or  instrumental  classes  extends  from  9  to  22 
years.  For  singing,  men  can  be  received  from  18 
to  26  years,  and  women  from  17  to  23. 

There  800  pupils,  in  round  numbers,  receive  gra- 
tuitously the  care  of  a  body  of  81  professors  or 
tutors ;  and  at  the  end  of  a  scholastic  year,  examina- 
tions, some  of  which  are  public  and  others  private, 
are  held,  and  the  successful  ones  receive  prizes,  ac- 
cessits  or  medals,  by  way  of  encouragement. 

Composition,*  counterpoint  and  fugue,  harmony,  ac- 
companiment, improvization  (at  the  organ),  solfeggio  ;  \ 
singing,  ensemble  vocal ;  dramatic  declamation,  lyric  dec- 
lamation, opera,  opera-comique  ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all 
the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  trombone,  cornet 
&  pistons  ;  chamber-music,  orchestra  ensemble ;  history  of 

*  Including  the  orchestra  and  the  study  of  form, 
f  Including  theory  and  dictation. 

[  419  ] 


music,   history  and   dramatic  literature ;  deportment  and 
dancing  ;  fencing  ;  stage  laws, 

The  Conservatory  of  Paris  has  branches  in  the  De- 
partments, at  the  present  time  there  are  26:  at 
Lille  (1826),  Toulouse  (1826),  Dijon  (1845), 
Lyons  (1874),  Nancy  (1884),  Nantes  (1884),  Per- 
pignan  (1884),  Rcnnes  (1884),  then  more  impor- 
tant ones,  under  the  title  of  Ecoles  Nationales, 
Aix  (1884),  Bayonne  (1884),  Boulogne-sur-Mer 
(1884),  Caen  (1884),  Chambery  (1884),  Digne 
(1884),  Douai  (1884),  Le  Mans  (1884),  Nisme 
(1884),  Roubaix  (1884),  St.  Omer  (1884),  Valen- 
ciennes (1884),  Cette  (1885),  Tours  (1885),  An- 
gouleme  (1887),  Montpellier  (1889),  Amiens 
(1891),  Moulins  (1893),  the  number  of  professors 
varying  from  4  (Digne)  to  32  (Lille  and  Toulouse). 
These  receive  subsidies  from  the  State  and  the  Muni- 
cipality at  the  same  time. 

Of  course,  owing  to  the  varying  resources  of  the 
different  localities,  these  branch-schools  do  not  all 
have  the  same  value.  There  are,  however,  a  few  of 
them,  particularly  among  the  oldest,  which  have  sent 
out  some  very  good  pupils,  who  often  come  to  Paris 
to  finish  their  education.  In  a  volume  published  in 
1872,  Ernest  Reyer,  the  composer  of  Sigurd,  Sa- 
lammbo  and  La  Statue,  remarked  that  in  the  Depart- 
ments there  are  "  some  music-schools  that  are  consid- 
ered as  branches  of  the  Paris  Conservatory,  but 
which,  in  reality,  are  merely  communal  schools  sup- 
ported by  the  town,  and  which  are  placed  under  the 
[420] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

authority,  sometimes  a  little  too  arbitrary,  of  a  muni- 
cipal council.  .  .  ."  And  he  added :  "  We  might 
wish  that  our  provincial  music-schools,  being  at- 
tached to  the  Ministry  of  the  Beaux-Arts  by  serious 
bonds,  could  acquire  the  right  to  call  themselves, 
otherwise  than  by  the  vain  formula,  branches  of  the 
Paris  Conservatory."  *  It  has  always  been  very  much 
the  same:  the  connection  of  these  schools  with  the 
Ministry  of  the  Beaux-Arts  began  in  1826,  with 
Lille  and  Toulouse,  and  there  were  already  four  of- 
ficial branches  at  the  time  when  the  above  lines  were 
written ;  the  number  was  gradually  increased  until 
1893,  when  the  branch  of  Moulins  was  created,  which 
is  still  the  youngest.  Their  directors  are  nominated 
by  a  ministerial  order,  their  professors  by  the  Prefct, 
they  are  subjected  to  periodical  inspection,  but  they 
are  not  dependent,  as  is  often  believed,  upon  the 
Paris  Conservatory;  they  are  under  the  direct  juris- 
diction of  the  Ministry.  Their  programmes  are  re- 
ductions of  that  of  Paris ;  from  that  of  one  of  the 
oldest  and  that  of  the  one  most  recently  created,  we 
can  gather  a  sufficient  idea: 

Lille : 

Harmony,  solfeggio ;  singing,  vocal  ensemble  ;  lyric 
declamation,  diction  ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instru- 
ments of  the  classic  orchestra,  trombone,  cornet,  saxo- 
phone, chamber-music,  orchestra. 

Moulins  : 

Solfeggio  :  piano,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  or- 
chestra, saxophone. 

*  E.  Reyer,  Notes  de  musique  (edit.  Charpentier). 
[421] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

In  .all  these  French  schools,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
Paris  Conservatory,  entrance  is  gained  by  examina- 
tions in  October,  and  the  instruction  is  entirely  free, 
that  is  to  say,  there  is  nothing  whatever  to  pay, 
either  for  the  right  of  entrance,  nor  for  examina- 
tions, nor  diplomas,  nor  for  anything  at  all — and  this 
holds  good  for  foreigners  as  well  as  for  natives, — a 
fact  peculiar  to  France. 

And  we  must  regard  this  complete  gratuity,  which, 
as  a  consequence  of  its  admirable  philanthropic  side, 
excludes  all  idea  of  exploitation,  and  allows  the  pupils 
to  be  sorted  out,  and  only  those  to  be  admitted  who 
show  qualities  or  very  certain  predispositions,  as  well 
as  the  power  of  dismissing  them  when  they  do  not 
fulfil  their  promises,  I  say,  we  must  regard  this  as  one 
of  the  elements  of  superiority,  but  not  the  only  one, 
of  the  Conservatory  of  Paris,  which,  without  pretend- 
ing to  realize  the  ideal  of  perfection,  is  certainly  the 
model  normal  school,  and  justly  attracts  students 
from  all  parts  of  the  world. 

From  this  little  circular  trip  that  we  have  just 
made  through  the  Conservatories  belonging  to  the 
majority  of  the  countries  of  Europe,  and  from  the 
notes  that  we  have  been  able  to  make  upon  a  certain 
number  of  them  on  the  way,  the  sagacious  reader  can 
deduct  many  instructive  things,  simply  by  taking  the 
pains  to  look  for  them  and  making  comparisons  for 
himself. 

The  number  of  classes  and  their  nomenclature  is 
not  the  principal  thing  to  take  into  consideration. 
We  see  very  plainly,  in  each  of  the  schools  that  we 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF   INSTRUCTION 

have  just  passed  under  review  that  stand  at  the  head 
of  musical  instruction  in  their  country  or  district, 
as  well  as  in  all  other  analogous  establishments,  to 
whatsoever  nation  they  may  belong,  there  always 
exists  a  certain  foundation  programme  of  study 
that  is  the  same  everywhere,  forming  the  very  basis 
of  the  teaching,  its  indispensable  part,  and  which, 
moreover,  could  hardly  vary.  Thus  in  all  of  them, 
even  the  least  important,  it  is  necessary  to  learn  to 
sing,  and  to  play  the  piano,  as  well  as  all  the  instru- 
ments constituting  the  symphonic  orchestra ;  it  is  also 
demanded  that  solfeggio  and  theory  shall  be  taught, 
under  whatever  head,  and  some  elements  of  harmony, 
without  which  there  would  no  longer  be  any  schools  of 
music.  This  is  not  the  real  interest. 

What  is  instructive  to  study,  is  the  balance  and 
the  weighing  of  the  divers  studies,  agreeing  always 
with  the  national  tendencies  and  local  aspirations,  re- 
vealing these  when  they  do  not  sanction  them ;  it  is 
their  correlation  with  or  divergence  from  the  im- 
portance of  the  establishment  that  is  manifested  in 
the  number  of  professors  who  teach  in  them  and  of 
the  pupils  who  follow  the  course,  and  the  relation  be- 
tween these  figures  and  those  of  the  population  shows 
the  degree  of  musical  civilization  of  every  country. 
There  are  also  many  other  things  that  can  be  di- 
vined, and  that  would  take  a  long  time  and  be 
profitless  to  enumerate  in  detail.  There  is  certainly 
a  distinction  to  be  drawn  between  those  schools  that 
limit  themselves  strictly  to  instructing  their  pupils 
in  matters  of  pure  musical  technique,  and  those  that, 
[,423] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

surveying  the  education  of  an  artist  from  a  higher 
standpoint,  introduce  into  their  programmes  courses 
of  History  of  Music,  Literature,  General  ^Esthetics, 
Prosody  or  Metrics,  Acoustics,  or  foreign  languages 
(the  knowledge  of  one  or  two  foreign  languages,  in- 
dependently of  their  utility  to  singers  and  their  con- 
venience to  every  artist  who  is  called  upon  to  travel, 
is  one  of  the  most  powerful  elements  of  literary  and 
aesthetic  instruction).  In  others,  there  will  be  no- 
ticed a  greater  concern  for  exercises  that  develop 
physical  strength  or  gracefulness,  such  as  Dancing, 
Choregraphy,  Fencing,  even  Gymnastics  and  Calis- 
thenics (a  group  of  exercises  that  are  excellent  for 
the  physical  culture  of  young  girls).  This  shows 
that  special  care  is  taken  to  form  artists  for  the 
stage;  these  can  ill  afford  to  neglect  the  subject  of 
deportment  and  the  plastic  arts.  A  knowledge  of 
History,  Mythology  and  Psychology  are  indispen- 
sable to  the  composer  and  also  to  the  actor,  and  if 
they  do  not  acquire  these  at  their  Conservatory,  they 
will  be  obliged  to  learn  them  elsewhere,  and  at  their 
own  expense.  So,  nothing  of  all  this  is  immaterial: 
far  from  it:  Paleography  itself  (the  study  of  ancient 
writings),  of  which  we  have  found  but  one  chair,  in 
Rome,  allows  the  initiated  to  read  at  sight  old  forms 
of  musical  notation  now  fallen  into  disuse,  and  may 
lead  to  archaeological  discoveries.  What  is  most  to 
be  regretted  is  that  these  extra-musical  courses, 
which,  as  we  have  already  shown,  are  so  helpful  in 
developing  the  artistic  sense  by  a  general  elevation 
of  the  mind,  are  not  more  widely  extended,  made 
[424] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

obligatory  everywhere  and  practised  continually.  In 
many  schools,  we  are  forced  to  admit  that  even  if 
they  do  figure  on  the  programme,  they  are  only  there 
after  an  intermittent  fashion ;  indeed  they  are  some- 
times suppressed,  on  account  of  pecuniary  reasons, 
and  often  for  consecutive  years,  to  the  great  detri- 
ment of  serious  students.  The  intention  is  mani- 
fested, nevertheless,  and  this  we  must  take  into  ac- 
count. 

We  may  be  allowed,  on  the  other  hand,  to  regard 
as  superfluous  or  puerile,  certain  courses  in  the 
piccolo,  kettledrums,  and  harmonium,  etc.  .  . 
instruments  which  really  do  not  require  any  special 
teaching  and  do  not  raise  the  level  of  the  school  in 
the  slightest  degree ;  and,  from  another  point  of  view, 
those  of  Geography,  Arithmetic  and  Calligraphy,  as 
going,  perhaps,  a  little  too  far  astray  from  the 
principal  aim;  but  before  condemning  or  turning 
them  into  ridicule,  we  ought  to  know  exactly  the  so- 
cial conditions  of  every  country  and  the  mean  degree 
of  intellectual  culture  of  the  candidates.  Then, 
doubtless,  in  most  cases,  there  would  be  a  reason  and 
normal  explanation  for  everything.  But  what  ought 
to  be  required  everywhere,  as  we  have  seen  it  clearly 
formulated  in  Leipzig,  Manchester,  Lisbon  and 
other  places,  being  elsewhere  implied  and  as  a  mat- 
ter of  course,  is  that  every  student  of  singing  should 
be  compelled  to  study  the  piano,  and  to  become,  ipso 
facto,  a  musician.  Many  other  things,  often  unex- 
pected, can  be  learned  by  turning  over  these  notes, 
which  I  should  have  liked  to  make  complete  if  I  had 
28  [  425  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

felt  sure  that  everybody  would  be  interested  and  had 
not  feared  that  to  many  they  would  be  tedious. 

It  is  very  evident  that  there  are  strong  contrasts 
to  be  established  between  all  these  various  establish- 
ments created  for  instruction  in  music  and  for  popu- 
larizing it  with  the  masses,  as  we  shall  now  see.  But 
there  is  one  point  that  is  common  to  all  and  which 
should  attract  the  attention  of  all  those  who  are 
seeking  practical  advice  of  various  kinds  in  this 
book:  it  is  that  within  their  sphere  of  action  they 
attract  the  highest  class  of  teaching  and  the  safest 
and  most  famous  professors  in  their  district.  This 
is  their  duty  to  the  inhabitants  and  to  their  own 
interest  as  academic  establishments.  Moreover,  on 
account  of  the  number  of  pupils  that  pass  through 
their  hands,  the  numerous  opportunities  they  have  in 
examinations  and  other  exercises  to  control  their 
course  and  study  their  temperament,  the  professors 
of  a  Conservatory  are  in  a  far  better  position  than 
any  others  to  increase  their  experience  and  to  verify 
the  correctness  of  their  methods.  We  may  then  ad- 
mit, a  priori,  and  in  the  absence  of  verification,  that 
among  them  we  shall  have  the  best  chances,  with- 
out going  beyond  the  radius  of  any  given  locality, 
of  finding  the  safest  and  most  trustworthy  guides; 
whether  we  attend  their  classes  in  the  Conservatory, 
or  prefer  to  consult  them  privately  on  account  of 
any  personal  or  social  considerations,  with  which  we 
have  nothing  to  do  here.  Their  official  position 
marks  them  for  confidences.  But  this  must  not,  by 
[426] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF   INSTRUCTION 

any  means,  be  taken  as  an  absolute  rule ;  for  very 
often,  especially  for  the  special  study  of  any  particu- 
lar branch,  we  find  masters  of  altogether  superior  ex- 
cellence in  the  fields  of  free  teaching. 

But  when  the  question  is  one  of  a  number  of. 
studies  that  we  want  to  carry  as  far  as  possible,  a 
very  good  combination,  the  surest  and  at  the  same 
time,  the  most  agreeable,  to  my  mind,  consists  in 
following  the  Conservatory  courses,  taking  them  as 
a  general  line  of  conduct,  yet  without  depriving  our- 
selves of  the  aid  of  a  private  teacher  who  acts  as 
tutor,  and  is  willing  to  play  this  secondary  role  and 
conscientiously  limit  himself  to  it.  In  all  Conserva- 
tories of  the  first  rank,  there  is  no  professor  who 
would  object  to  this  combination;  indeed  many  of 
them  would  be  the  first  to  advise  it,  on  the  judicious 
condition  that  the  tutor  should  be  known  and  agree- 
able to  them.  Sometimes,  but  rarely,  the  regulations 
are  jealous  and  finical  enough  to  oppose  this,  stipu- 
lating that  the  pupil,  on  penalty  of  expulsion,  shall 
take  no  lessons  outside  the  school.  One  must  know 
how  to  get  around  such  rules ;  it  is  always  to  be  man- 
aged somehow. 

Generally  speaking,  the  classes  of  purely  musical 
instruction  are  held  two  or  three  times  a  week  and 
last  two  hours ;  that  is  about  the  length  of  time  that 
is  universally  adopted ;  moreover,  the  hours  are  ar- 
ranged so  that  every  pupil  can  participate  simul- 
taneously and  without  fatigue  in  the  different  classes 
that  may  be  useful  to  him. 

The  auxiliary  courses,  those  whose  aim  is  the 
[427] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

moral  and  intellectual  instruction  of  the  artist,  such 
as  History  of  Music,  the  Stage,  ^Esthetics,  Litera- 
ture, etc.,  are  often  in  the  form  of  lectures,  and  take 
place  at  longer  intervals,  every  week  or  fortnight,  or 
even  once  a  month;  frequently  listeners  are  admitted 
who  do  not  belong  to  the  school.  If  they  are  good, 
such  attendance  cannot  be  too  highly  recommended 
to  amateurs  interested  in  matters  of  art.  This  is  the 
same  custom  as  is  followed  in  many  Universities, 
notably  in  Germany  and  England  and  also  at  the 
College  of  France  and  the  Sorbonne  in  Paris. 

Very  frequently  such  questions  as  these  are  asked: 
Are  all  these  Conservatories  useful? — Is  not  the  lib- 
erty of  art  restricted  by  the  exigences  of  official 
teaching? — Does  not  the  artist  lose  something  of  his 
spontaneity  by  being  thus  put  into  a  regiment,  as  it 
were,  and  subjected  to  a  kind  of  musical  drill? 

I  will  try  to  answer  these  collectively. 

First,  I  will  remark  that  the  same  fears  might  be 
expressed  regarding  all  the  Government  Schools 
where  are  taught  the  Fine  Arts — painting,  sculpture 
and  architecture — the  usefulness  of  which  seems  to 
me  to  be  demonstrated  by  the  mere  fact  of  their  ex- 
pansion in  every  country  of  the  globe,  without  excep- 
tion, and  I  ask  why  music  alone  should  be  subject  to 
other  laws.  If  the  Conservatories  did  not  supply  a 
real  need,  we  should  not  have  seen  them  multiply  as 
they  have;  we  should  not  see  new  ones  springing  up 
every  day ;  if  their  results  were  negative,  we  should 
see  them  die;  or,  at  least,  some  would  disappear. 
Now,  we  have  never  heard  of  a  single  one  that  has 
[428] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OP  INSTRUCTION 

closed  its  doors :  they  are  born,  they  grow,  sometimes 
they  amalgamate  with  other  similar  schools  that  were 
established  first  as  rivals,  and  that  always  end  by 
uniting  with  them ;  but  not  one  has  been  accused  of 
decline,  nor  is  in  jeopardy  of  perishing.  Such  is  their 
history  up  to  date. 

Are  they  then  established  simply  to  make  the  fort- 
une of  the  directors  and  teachers?  If  this  were  the 
case,  they  would  fail  in  their  purpose;  for  every- 
where, except  in  England  where  they  are  remune- 
rated royally,  if  they  accept  and  seek  these  posts,  it 
is  far  more  for  the  honour  and  love  of  the  art  than 
from  pecuniary  calculation,  for  such  positions  very 
frequently  bring  with  them  impediments  to  an  in- 
dividual career,  and  the  salaries  can  only  be  regarded 
as  indemnities.  Do  the  Governments,  Municipalities 
or  protecting  societies  gain  any  large  profits  by 
them?  No,  for  they  subsidize  them  or  support  schol- 
arships and  never  touch  anything  in  return. 

To  what  then  shall  we  attribute  their  growth  and 
their  vitality,  if  not  to  the  artistic  results,  hoped  for 
at  first,  and  finally  realized  and  established? 

It  must  be  thoroughly  understood  that  the  teach- 
ing in  the  large  Conservatories,  I  mean  by  this  those 
that  have  reached  their  complete  development,  is  far 
from  possessing  that  rigidity  publicly  attributed  to 
them  by  some  people  who  never  go  to  see  them  and 
who  have  formed  this  idea  of  themselves.  Apart  from 
certain  principles,  as  unchangeable  as  the  laws  of 
logic  or  geometry,  each  maintains  its  own  freedom  of 
judgment,  at  least  in  the  classes  of  composition  and 
[429] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

those  that  border  it ;  and  if  the  instrumental  classes, 
which,  however,  produce  virtuosi  each  having  his 
own  and  very  distinct  personality,  may  sometimes  be 
treated  as  "  musician  factories "  and  "  schools  of 
drill,"  that  is  only  a  semi-evil.  The  musician  of  the 
orchestra  may  be  perfectly  well  compared  to  a  sol- 
dier, without  any  loss  or  harm  done  to  the  dignity  of 
his  modest  career;  and,  like  him,  be  subjected  to  a 
rigorous  discipline.  Interrogate  orchestral  musicians 
upon  this  subject,  and  you  will  find  that  the  best  and 
the  most  sought  after  among  them,  those  upon  whom 
the  conductor  feels  that  he  can  rely,  are  products  of 
the  Conservatories. 

But  there  is  still  another  and  most  important  thing 
to  be  considered  with  regard  to  the  greater  number 
of  the  large  Conservatories  of  which  we  have  just 
spoken.  This  is  the  sincere  spirit  of  good  comrade- 
ship and  cordial  fraternity  that  reigns  in  them  and 
makes  them  essentially  sympathetic.  Setting  aside  a 
few  bitter  and  petty  rivalries  which  only  arise  in  cer- 
tain classes  that  are  purely  feminine  and  do  them  no 
honour,  it  gives  us  great  pleasure  on  the  contrary  to 
see  established  among  the  promoted  schoolfellows 
and  comrades  a  kind  of  tacit  Masonic  bond  of  true 
metal,  analogous  to  that  which  exists  between  the 
pupils  of  the  other  Fine  Arts  schools,  such  as  the 
Normaliens  and  the  Polytechniciens,  which  prompts 
them  to  seek  and  help  each  other  in  after  life,  like 
the  good  and  loyal  brothers-in-arms  they  are. 

The  great  objection  made  by  the  detractors  of  of- 
ficial education  is  the  following,  which  seems  to  them 
[430] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

to  be  of  great  weight:  "  The  great  masters  of  the 
past  whom  we  venerate  formed  themselves  without  the 
aid  of  any  Conservatory  "  This  is  their  principal 
battle  horse,  their  unanswerable  argument. 

However,  this  is  how  we  may  reply  to  them :  "  It 
must  indeed  be  acknowledged  that  our  great  masters 
did  not  come  out  of  the  Conservatories,  but  this  docs 
not  prove  that  they  are  useless,  nor  that  they  have 
done  nothing  for  the  progress  of  musical  art.  The 
principal  duty  of  a  music-school  is  to  increase  the 
number  of  trained  musicians.  The  diffusion  of  mu- 
sical art,  which  is  always  increasing,  renders  the 
foundation  of  Conservatories  and  Music-Schools  nec- 
essary. When  we  think  of  what  a  veritable  army 
(choirs,  orchestras,  soloists,  conductors,  music-teach- 
ers, etc..)  that  the  art  of  music  demands  for  its  pres- 
ent needs,  we  realize  that  private  teaching  would 
be  altogether  insufficient  to  provide  for  it.  More- 
over, the  Conservatories  and  music-schools  offer  in- 
contestable advantages.  Therefore  the  musical  at- 
mosphere of  the  Conservatories  alone  is  helpful  to 
youth,  just  like  the  stimulus  that  is  found  in  all  col- 
lective teaching."  *  As  we  have  already  shown  this, 
it  is  needless  to  return  to  the  subject. 

It  is  very  certain  that  Bach,  Haydn,  Mozart,  Bee- 
thoven, Mendelssohn  and  Weber  did  not  issue  from 
German  Conservatories,  but  this  is  explained  when 
it  is  remembered  that  there  were  none  in  their  time, 
since  the  oldest  of  all,  that  of  Leipzig,  was  created  in 
1843.  This  did  not  prevent  Mendelssohn  from  be- 
*  Rubinstein,  La  Musique  et  ses  reprdsentants. 

[431  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

ing  a  brilliant  professor  there,  nor  Rossini  and 
Rubinstein  from  founding  two  others,  by  different 
means,  one  in  Pcsaro,  the  other  in  St.  Petersburg; 
thereby  showing  plainly  that  they  did  not  despise  the 
principle,  and  that  they,  perhaps,  would  have  been 
glad  to  have  had  done  for  them  in  their  youth,  what, 
in  their  old  age,  they  considered  good  to  do  for 
others.  I  think  these  are  authorities;  and  many 
others  might  be  cited. 

Still  again,  it  might  be  well  to  examine  somewhat 
closely  and  see  whether  by  chance  a  few  artists  of 
lofty  flight  have  not  come  out  of  these  so  greatly  vil- 
lified  Conservatories ;  but  people  never  think  of  that. 
Their  adversaries,  when  maintaining  that  the  ma- 
jority of  great  geniuses  have  been  despised  in  their 
lifetime,  and  that  they  have  had  to  carve  their  way 
through  a  thousand  hardships  and  acquire  their  in- 
struction with  incessant  struggle  against  winds  and 
waves,  might  just  as  well  and  just  as  sagely  pro- 
claim that  the  best  and  most  fertile  of  all  schools  is 
that  of  adversity.  This  will  always  be  open,  alas! 
and  their  proteges  can  always  be  admitted  free  with- 
out examinations  or  age  limits. 

The  two  advantages  that  are  to  be  sought  in  mak- 
ing application  to  a  Conservatory  are:  economy  and 
safe  guidance.  The  first  is  always  to  be  found ;  the 
second,  nearly  always ;  that  is  to  say,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  establishments  of  an  inferior  order,  easily  rec- 
ognized. With  regard  to  the  superiority  of  the  in- 
struction in  any  given  branch,  that  depends  upon 
too  many  local  and  personal  circumstances  for  us  to 
[432] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF   INSTRUCTION 

be  able  to  form  any  advance  judgment,  and  may  just 
as  well  be  found,  as  we  have  already  said,  in  independ- 
ent teaching. 


V.  AMERICAN  CONSERVATORIES 

Never  having  had  occasion  to  visit  the  United 
States,  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  express  a  personal 
opinion  of  the  numerous  schools  of  music  that  are 
found  in  every  large  city,  or  as  to  their  absolute  or 
relative  value.  I  have  to  rely  upon  what  has  been 
told  me  by  my  friends  who  live  in  America,  and  by 
French  artists  who  have  frequented  those  establish- 
ments and  communicated  their  impressions  to  me. 

From  this  sum  of  information,  confirmed  by  an 
attentive  reading  of  the  rules  or  programmes  of 
study  that  I  have  been  able  to  procure,  I  think  I  may 
conclude  that  there  would  be  no  interest  in  establish- 
ing a  parallel  between  the  Conservatories  or  other 
large  schools  of  music  in  America  and  the  Conserva- 
tories on  the  Old  Continent;  and  this  for  the  very 
simple  reason  that  they  are  essentially  different,  and 
do  not  spring  from  the  same  ideas. 

In  Europe,  the  Conservatories  have  kept  from  their 
origin  a  certain  philanthropical  character,  and  their 
aim,  even  when  they  demand  a  modest  pecuniary 
equivalent,  is  principally  that  of  spreading  artistic 
instruction  as  much  as  possible  among  the  masses, 
which  is  very  justly  considered  a  moral  and  intel- 
lectual benefit,  and  a  high  element  of  civilization. 
Moreover,  the  philosophers  of  every  age  have  thought 
[433] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

this.  If  sometimes,  which  is  exceptional,  the  dues 
rise  to  a  somewhat  exaggerated  figure,  we  immedi- 
ately see  the  appearance,  as  a  corrective,  of  a  new 
rule  that  offers  gratuity  to  those  who  have  absolute 
need  of  it.  Also,  almost  everywhere,  we  see  the  Gov- 
ernment patronizing  these  establishments,  supporting 
and  aiding  them  with  funds,  believing  that  from  them 
will  be  turned  out  musicians  who  will  make  the  artistic 
glory  of  their  country ;  which,  moreover,  often  hap- 
pens. 

In  America,  at  least  according  to  my  information, 
which  comes  from  different  sources,  from  corre- 
spondents too  intelligent  for  me  to  be  greatly  in 
error,  we  must  regard  them  rather  as  private  enter- 
prises having  a  commercial  character,  not  destitute 
of  artistic  aims,  that  goes  without  saying,  but  more 
especially  preoccupied  by  augmenting  their  receipts 
than  by  elevating  the  level  of  national  art.  It  is  true 
that  this  conception  allows  the  professors  an  infinitely 
larger  remuneration  than  our  European  schools,  but 
this  is  a  secondary  result. 

One  thing  is  certain,  and  that  is  that  although  the 
taste  for  music  is  as  pronounced  among  the  Ameri- 
cans as  in  any  other  nation  in  the  world,  which  they 
show  by  their  very  just  appreciation  of  talent  of 
every  kind,  yet  there  does  not  exist,  properly  speak- 
ing, an  American  School.  It  is  only  in  an  exceptional 
case  that  we  can  cite  a  Composer,  a  Singer,  or  an  In- 
strumentalist of  great  worth  who  has  been  musically 
educated  exclusively  in  his  own  country ;  and  we  can- 
not take  these  rare  and  honourable  exceptions  as  a 
[434] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

basis.  On  the  other  hand,  if  a  young  and  gifted 
artist  comes  to  Europe  to  study  and  spend  several 
years  under  good  guidance,  we  see  him  return  home 
equipped  with  all  the  elements  of  success:  examples 
are  not  lacking.  This  certainly  proves  that  aptitude 
is  not  wanting,  for  study  can  not  create  but  only 
develop  it.  Hence  I  think  I  may  conclude  that  those 
vast  and  immense  musical  institutions  of  the  New 
World,  that  have  thousands  of  pupils,  and  try  above 
all  else  to  please  and  tempt  them,  in  order  to  attract 
many  more,  should  be  considered  especially  as  schools 
for  amateurs,  young  men  and  women  of  society  who 
want  to  amuse  themselves  with  music,  rather  than  as 
schools  productive  of  true  artists. 

One  thing  that  confirms  me  in  this  conviction  is 
the  brevity  of  the  studies  which  is  almost  the  univer- 
sal rule;  they  want  to  get  on  too  fast,  much  too  fast, 
and  they  seem  to  be  ignorant  that  a  number  of  years 
is  required  to  form  a  musician  of  real  value.  Scarcely 
has  a  pupil  passed  through  a  course  of  two  or  three 
years,  when  they  think  of  bringing  him  before  the 
public.  This  may  have  certain  advantages  sometimes, 
but  it  must  necessarily  be  prejudicial  to  the  continu- 
ity of  serious  studies,  as  they  are  understood  with  us. 

If  anyone  is  really  anxious  to  discover  some  re- 
semblance between  these  institutions  and  the  Euro- 
pean establishments,  it  is  in  England  that  this  com- 
parison must  be  sought.  There  also,  the  pupils  are 
admitted  by  an  examination  for  simple  classification 
and  are  never  refused  on  account  of  lack  of  aptitude, 
nor  because  they  are  too  young  or  too  old.  When- 
[435] 


ever  it  pleases  them  to  pay  the  established  tariff  for 
their  lessons,  they  are  always  acceptable  and  accepted. 
It  is  for  them  to  determine  whether  they  are  capable 
or  not  of  profiting  by  the  instruction  that  is  offered 
to  them,  and  not  enrolling  themselves  if  it  is  likely 
to  be  a  useless  expense.  Nothing  is  obligatory,  and 
they  are  refused  nothing  that  they  demand.  They 
are  admitted  at  their  own  risk  and  peril. 

As  we  see,  this  is  an  entirely  different  conception. 
I  do  not  criticize  either  of  them  here;  I  simply  state 
the  fact,  as  I  would  also  state,  if  I  were  in  a  geog- 
raphy class,  that  Europe  and  America  are  not  sit- 
uated on  the  same  side  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean ;  and  I 
simply  conclude  that  just  because  of  a  similitude  in 
the  name  we  must  not  imagine  that  what  is  called 
"  Conservatory  "  in  the  United  States  and  England 
is  identical  with  what  we  understand  on  our  Old  Con- 
tinent. This  is  very  important,  although,  it  may  be, 
really,  only  a  simple  question  of  words.  But,  for  a 
clear  understanding,  it  is  again  necessary  for  us  to 
discuss  meanings. 

What  is  called  "  Conservatory "  in  America  is 
known  to  us  as  an  "  Ecole  libre,"  a  school  composed 
of  a  body  of  professors,  each  acting  on  his  own  ac- 
count and  associated  with  the  aim  of  attracting  a 
clientele,  and  constituting  an  important  and  numerous 
organization,  as  well  as  forming  brilliant  pupils. 

The  most  flourishing  establishment  for  musical  in- 
struction in  the  United  States  seems  to  me  to  be  the 
Musical    College    of    Chicago    (1867).      Pupils    can 
enter  it  at  any  age  and  at  any  time  of  year,  but 
[436] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

they  are  not  admitted  for  less  than  a  term,  which 
means  ten  weeks;  the  charge  for  a  term  varies  from 
$20  to  $300,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  studies. 
However,  semi-gratuitous  and  even  gratuitous  pupils, 
who  have  to  be  recommended  by  some  responsible  per- 
son, are  received.  The  number  of  these  is  determined 
at  the  beginning  of  each  year;  from  these,  naturally 
enough,  proofs  of  ability  are  required. 

The  prodigious  number  of  pupils,  about  3,000,  is 
unsurpassed  throughout  the  whole  world  except  by 
the  "  Guildhall  School  "  in  London,  yet  I  see  only 
61  professors,  which  seems  somewhat  out  of  propor- 
tion. 

At  the  end  of  the  examinations  and  competitions, 
they  distribute  certificates  for  teaching  (diploma  of 
graduation);  bachelor  of  music  (diploma  of  artist); 
a  nd  master  of  music  with  a  decoration  (  !  ) .  I  do  not 
believe  that  this  exists  anywhere  else. 

Composition,  form,  counterpoint,  fugue,  canon,  har- 
mony, theory,  solfeggio ;  singing,  chorus ;  diction,  opera, 
dramatic  art ;  deportment,  dancing  and  choregraphy,  pan- 
tomime, fencing ;  piano,  organ,  violin,  violoncello,  flute, 
clarinet,  bassoon,  cornet,  ensemble ;  history  of  music, 
analysis  of  pieces  ;  French,  German,  Spanish,  Italian. 

There  is  also  in  Chicago  the  American  Conserva- 
tory (1886),  which  accepts  all  pupils,  even  beginners, 
who  pay  from  $5  to  $80  for  a  term  of  six  weeks,  that 
is  to  say  from  $20  to  $320  for  a  year  of  four  terms, 
according  to  the  classes  and  the  grades. 

There  are  68  professors  and  about  1,200  pupils. 
[437] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

A  certificate  of  study  costs  $5 ;  a  teacher's  certificate, 
$10;  a  diploma,  $15. 

Composition,  counterpoint,  harmony,  orchestration,  sol- 
feggio ;  singing ;  diction,  declamation,  deportment,  pan- 
tomime, fencing,  the  art  of  costume  ;  piano,  organ,  harp, 
violin,  violoncello,  flute,  clarinet,  cornet,  trombone,  man- 
dolin, guitar,  banjo,  ensemble ;  church  music,  oratorio  ; 
normal  class ;  literature  ;  French,  German,  Italian. 

After  the  Musical  College  of  Chicago,  I  believe  we 
must  place  the  Conservatory  of  Music  in  Boston 
(1867),  where  86  professors  instruct  1,960  pupils, 
who  are  received  at  any  time  of  the  year  and  at  every 
degree  of  advancement,  and  have  to  pay  from  $5  to 
$300  for  a  term  of  ten  weeks,  according  to  the  classes. 
There  are  frequent  examinations,  twice  a  term ;  a  cer- 
tificate only  costs  a  dollar;  a  diploma,  $5. 

Here  also  we  find,  at  a  price  of  from  $4.50  to  $9, 
rooms  and  board  for  young  girls,  who  for  meals,  rent- 
ing of  pianos,  academic  supplies,  etc.,  have  a  special 
tariff. 

The  programme  is  formidable,  and  not  only  em- 
braces music,  but  extends  to  the  arts  of  design. 

Composition  and  analysis,  conducting,  orchestration, 
instrumentation,  harmony,  solfeggio,  theory  ;  voice,  sing- 
ing, chorus  ;  lyric  declamation,  dramatic  art,  opera,  dic- 
tion, psychology  of  the  voice,  hygiene  of  the  voice  and 
the  ear,  phonetics,  anatomy ;  physical  exercise ;  piano, 
organ,  harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra  ; 
cor-anglais,  tenor-horn,  alto-horn,  euphonium,  baryton  and 
trombone  tuba,  saxophone,  drum,  kettledrums,  string 
[438] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF   INSTRUCTION 

quartet,  ensemble,  orchestra,  military  music,  church  music 
(oratorios  and  choruses) ;  tuning,  acoustics,  rhetoric, 
mathematics,  reading  (obligatory,  an  hour  a  day),  litera- 
ture ;  school  of  professors  ;  French,  Latin,  Italian,  Ger- 
man ;  stenography,  Fine-Arts,  drawing,  painting,  portraits, 
wood-carving,  art-embroidery. 

Very  considerable  also  is  the  Conservatory  of 
Philadelphia,  accommodating  2,500  pupils,  with 
dormitories  and  a  boarding-school  for  young  girls, 
for  which  a  body  of  55  professors  suffices. 

All  kinds  of  pupils  are  admitted,  even  those  who 
know  nothing;  the  academic  year  is  divided  into  four 
terms  of  ten  weeks,  for  each  of  which  it  is  necessary 
to  pay  from  $5  to  $10.  Those  who  have  terminated 
their  studies  satisfactorily  pay  $15  for  a  diploma; 
certificates  at  the  end  of  the  year  are  $5  ;  those  pupils 
who  have  not  remained  so  long  receive  a  simple 
voucher,  which  seems  to  be  gratis. 

Composition,  harmony  and  theory,  conducting  of  or- 
chestra, analysis,  forms,  interpretation  and  orchestration, 
solfeggio,  dictation ;  singing,  vocal  ensemble ;  oratorio, 
opera,  dramatic  art,  declamation,  diction  ;  piano,  organ, 
harp,  all  the  instruments  of  the  classic  orchestra,  trom- 
bone, tuba,  cornet,  alto-horn,  cor-aiiglais,  saxophone,  kettle- 
drums, drum,  xylophone,  bells,  mandolin,  guitar,  lute,  banjo 
(sic),  ensemble  instrumental,  orchestra  and  military  or- 
chestra, symphonies  (eight  hands)  ;  history  of  music  ;  lit- 
erature ;  living  languages  ;  piano  tuning. 

The  National  Conservatory  of  Music  in  America 
in    New    York    (about    1885),    although    dependent 
[439] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

upon  a  private  enterprise,  comes  nearer  to  the  Euro- 
pean establishments,  by  the  spirit  of  its  rules ;  pupils 
are  received  there  without  distinction  of  age  or  na- 
tionality, but  on  the  condition  that  they  give  proof 
of  a  certain  degree  of  aptitude;  and  certain  free 
places  are  reserved  for  pupils  who  have  promising 
talent.  The  others  have  to  pay  from  $15  to  $250  for 
an  academic  year  of  eight  months. 

During  the  summer  (May  to  August)  classes  are 
held  for  the  benefit  of  the  students  in  schools  situated 
outside  the  city,  seminaries,  etc. 

Composition,  counterpoint,  harmony,  accompaniment, 
theory,  solfeggio ;  singing,  chorus ;  opera,  oratorio,  dic- 
tion, scenic  art,  fencing  ;  piano,  organ,  harp,  all  the  instru- 
ments of  the  classic  orchestra,  trombone,  cornet,  cor- 
anglais,  chamber-music,  orchestra ;  history  of  music ; 
Italian. 

In  Baltimore,  the  Peabody  Conservatory  (1868), 
which  bears  the  name  of  its  founder,  comprises  two 
schools,  one  of  which  is  preparatory  and  absolutely 
elementary  and  employs  37  professors.  The  pupils 
number  approximately  700,  who  pay,  according  to 
the  classes  they  attend  and  the  number  of  lessons, 
from  $15  to  $105,  and  after  examination  receive  cer- 
tificates of  study,  diplomas  and  honourable  mention. 

Composition,  harmony,  solfeggio;  singing,  chorus ;  piano, 
reading  at  sight  on  the  piano,  organ,  harp,  violin,  violon- 
cello, flute,  clarinet,  oboe,  cornet,  ensemble  music,  orches- 
tra ;  acoustics,  history  of  music  ;  French,  Italian,  German. 
[440] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OP  INSTRUCTION 

Outside  of  the  United  States,  in  Mexico,  the  Na- 
tional Conservatory  of  MEXICO,  seems  to  be  of  some 
importance,  since  it  employs  62  professors.  In  its 
programme,  we  find  the  names  of  classes  the  utility  of 
which  I  do  not  see  very  clearly: 

Harmony  and  composition,  solfeggio,  theory,  graphic 
music ;  singing,  choral  singing ;  piano,  harp,  orchestral 
instruments,  psaltery,  chamber-music,  acoustics  and  phonog- 
raphy ;  French,  Italian. 

I  know  of  but  two  schools  of  music  in  SOUTH 
AMERICA:  the  Conservatory  of  Bogota  (New  Gran- 
ada), with  28  professors,  which  is  a  large  number  for 
86  pupils,  and  a  somewhat  petty  programme: 

Counterpoint  and  fugue,  harmony,  solfeggio  and  theory; 
vocalization  and  singing  ;  piano,  organ,  all  the  instruments 
of  the  classic  orchestra,  trombone,  orchestra  ;  Italian. 

Meaner  still,  and  also  incomplete,  seems  to  be  that 
of  the  Conservatory  in  Buenos  Ayres  (Argentine 
Republic),  which  does  not  include  more  than  12  pro- 
fessors and  6  assistants.  They  give  prizes,  however, 
consisting  of  medals  and  little  sums  of  money,  even 
diplomas  of  teaching. 

Harmony  and  composition,  solfeggio ;  singing ;  piano, 
harmonium,  violin,  viola,  violoncello,  flute  ;  history  and 
aesthetics  of  music. 

Finally,  we  must  point  out  the  existence  in  Aus- 
tralia of  the  little  Conservatory  of  Sydney  (1894), 
39  [  441  ] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

founded  by  a  committee  of  patronage,  where  I  find 
several  names  of  artist  friends,  of  great  excellence. 
Here  the  entrance  fee  varies  from  6  shillings  to  1 
pound  1  shilling,  and  they  do  not  hesitate  to  offer  to 
the  pupils  a  Grand  Diploma  of  Merit, —  .  .  . 
probably  relative  enough. 

Orchestration,  counterpoint,  fugue,  harmony,  theory, 
solfeggio  ;  singing,  piano,  violin,  violoncello,  reading  both 
instrumental  and  vocal. 

Doubtless  there  exist,  in  South  America  and  even 
in  Australia,  establishments  that  are  of  more  im- 
portance and  organized  with  more  advanced  ideas; 
but  we  must  limit  ourselves ;  and,  moreover,  it  is  not 
likely  that  their  knowledge  would  bring  to  our  study 
any  new  elements.  We  can  then  stop  here,  without 
scruple,  considering  the  end  pursued.  I  regret,  how- 
ever, very  greatly,  that  I  have  no  information  re- 
garding Canada. 

In  looking  over  them  superficially,  it  is  natural 
that  these  various  programmes  should  appear  very 
much  alike,  offering  very  slight  differences;  we  must 
regret,  however,  those  in  which  we  see  figuring  be- 
side serious  studies  those  of  the  Banjo,  the  Drum, 
the  Xylophone,  the  Bells,  and  the  Cithara, — in- 
struments which,  although  occasionally  utilized  by 
composers  for  picturesque  reasons,  as  are  also  the 
Castanets  and  the  Crotales,  in  pieces  of  a  descriptive 
nature,  and  consequently  exceptional  pieces,  are  noth- 
ing more  than  simple  toys,  which  any  pupil  can  learn 
to  handle  alone  while  amusing  himself  during  the 
[442] 


VARIOUS   KINDS    OF   INSTRUCTION 

months  of  vacation.  These  are  not  like  the  Guitar 
and  Cembalo,  for  example,  national  instruments  of 
Spain  and  Hungary,  which  give  us  pleasure  to  see 
holding  an  honourable  place  in  the  programmes  of 
study  in  Barcelona  and  Budapest,  where  their  ab- 
sence would  make  a  regrettable  gap. 

The  real  interest,  as  we  have  already  said,  regard- 
ing European  schools,  is  in  studying  the  regulations 
of  each  one,  in  penetrating  into  the  spirit  without  at- 
taching too  much  importance  to  the  letter  and  thereby 
gathering  its  value  and  tendencies,  in  order  to  become 
capable  of  judging  what  degree  of  confidence  these 
(or  others)  are  worthy  to  inspire. 

It  is  thus  that  everybody  with  the  help  of  the  con- 
siderations of  every  kind  that  are  set  forth  in  this 
last  chapter,  the  numerous  documents  accumulated 
here,  and  the  special  advice  on  every  case  contained 
in  the  preceding  chapters,  will  be  able  to  discern  with 
freedom  and  certainty  what  opportunity  there  is  for 
him  in  whatever  place  and  under  whatever  circum- 
stances he  may  find  himself,  and  to  choose  between 
the  different  methods  of  Individual  Instruction,  In- 
struction in  Classes,  or  Instruction  by  the  Conserva- 
tories, and  also  how  to  obtain  the  most  certain,  best 
and  the  most  artistic  results  according  to  the  end  de- 
sired, which  is  the  sole  object  of  this  book. 

I  believe  (and  I  hope  I  am  not  mistaken)  that  I 
have  neglected  nothing  that  is  of  interest  to  those 
who  have  to  consider  Musical  Education  seriously, 
that  is  to  say  teachers  and  parents,  as  well  as  what 
may  be  useful  to  the  pupils  themselves  outside  of 
[443] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

direct  teaching,  with  the  exception  of  one  last  point 
which  seems  to  me  to  possess  much  more  interest  than 
anyone  dreams  of:  it  is  that  of  the  Vacation,  the  em- 
ployment or  non-employment  of  the  vacation. 

Few  persons,  in  reality,  apart  from  those  who  make 
teaching  the  object  of  their  permanent  care  and  sus- 
tained observation,  can  realize  exactly  how  much  a 
pupil  can  manage  to  forget  during  three  months  of 
complete  mental  inactivity  and  a  total  separation 
from  the  habitual  subject  of  his  daily  occupations. 

Now,  in  all  schools,  Lycees,  Colleges  and  other  in- 
stitutions for  general  instruction,  as  well  as  those  that 
look,  like  the  Conservatories,  towards  a  special  goal, 
there  are  annual  vacations,  which  last  about  three 
months.  Moreover,  in  the  course  of  the  academic 
year,  there  are  holidays  of  several  days,  at  Easter, 
the  New  Year,  etc. 

It  will  be  readily  believed  that  I,  the  sworn  enemy 
of  overwork,  am  not  hostile  to  holidays  and  to  the 
general  stoppage;  on  the  contrary,  I  regard  them 
as  being  the  best  opportunity  and  the  most  propitious 
moment  for  travelling,  that  is  to  say,  for  self-in- 
struction by  distraction.  I  consider  them  useful  and 
indispensable.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  I  should 
strongly  disapprove  of  a  pupil  who,  having  worked 
nearly  normally  and  as  he  should  have  done  during 
the  academic  year,  should  propose,  through  excessive 
ardour,  not  to  take  advantage  of  the  rest  and  should 
wish  to  pursue  his  work  as  usual.  This  would  be  ab- 
solutely senseless.  Particularly  in  the  case  of  a  child 
or  a  youth,  the  mind  should  not  be  kept  perpetually 
[444] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OF  INSTRUCTION 

on  the  same  ideas ;  and  these  seasons  of  rest  constitute 
wise  measures. 

But  all  exaggeration  is  faulty,  and  no  watchful 
teacher  has  failed  to  observe,  particularly  in  all  that 
concerns  art-studies,  that  on  returning  after  the  va- 
cation the  pupils  have  lost  something  of  their  acquired 
skill,  and  that  several  weeks  of  work  are  necessary 
before  they  get  back  to  the  point  they  had  reached 
before  the  interruption.  This  is  to  be  noticed  not 
only  in  the  study  of  singing,  or  of  an  instrument, 
matters  which  always  partake  somewhat  of  the  quality 
of  gymnastics,  but  quite  as  much  in  the  purely  in- 
tellectual and  mental  studies  of  harmony,  counter- 
point and  everything  that  touches  composition.  The 
mind  has  lost  something  of  its  suppleness,  and  a  cer- 
tain period  of  training  is  necessary,  just  like  the 
mechanical  side,  to  recover  in  their  plenitude  those 
faculties  that  were  developed  in  the  study  before. 
Here  then  is  another  rock  upon  which  people  must 
frequently  strike. 

Both  of  these  can  be  easily  avoided  by  inducing 
oneself,  without  allowing  it  to  harm  the  needed  rest, 
to  consecrate  one  hour  a  day,  not  more,  to  keeping 
in  good  condition.  This  is  always  feasible,  with  a 
little  good-will,  even  while  travelling,  and  still  better 
if  sojourning  in  the  country.  An  instrumentalist  can 
employ  this  hour  simply  in  playing  scales  and  ex- 
ercises ;  a  harmonist  or  a  fuguist,  in  reading  treatises 
or  solving  a  few  short  problems  on  paper;  as  for 
the  singer,  half  an  hour  of  vocalization  will  suffice 
to  keep  his  voice  from  getting  rusty.  There  should 
[445] 


MUSICAL    EDUCATION 

not  be  a  total  interruption ;  it  is  a  great  mistake  to 
imagine  that,  in  severing  ourselves  entirely  from  mu- 
sic for  two  or  three  months,  we  can  return  to  it  after- 
wards with  still  more  ardour  and  profit.  This  is  false 
reasoning,  which  can  be  held  by  those  only  who  do 
not  possess  a  love  for  the  art,  but  make  music  as  they 
would  make  boots.  As  for  the  others,  those  who  have 
the  souls  of  artists,  it  will  be  a  genuine  satisfaction 
to  realize  that,  while  not  trying  to  make  any  progress, 
since  this  is  a  period  of  rest,  they  are  not  losing 
ground,  that  they  are  sleeping  on  the  field  they  have 
won,  and  that  when  the  time  comes,  they  will  take 
up  the  march  forward  at  the  point  where  it  was  in- 
terrupted. This  is  the  truly  intelligent  way  of  re- 
garding vacations,  and  this  does  not  prevent  them  in 
the  least  from  producing  the  effect  of  relaxation  and 
recreation  that  we  have  the  right  to  expect  from 
them. 

And  now,  let  us  briefly  recapitulate: 

All  that  belongs  to  music  considered  as  a  Language 
is  best  learned  by  frequenting  the  society  of  those 
who  know  how  to  speak  it,  and  by  rubbing  against 
others  who  study  it ;  it  cannot  be  learned  too  young. 

All  that  belongs  to  music  considered  as  an  Art  is 
best  learned  by  contemplation  and  by  all  that  can 
elevate  the  mind,  by  literary  studies,  travel  and  con- 
tact with  great  artists ;  virtuosity,  whether  vocal  or 
instrumental,  demands  quiet  but  prolonged  toil. 

All  that  belongs  to  music  considered  as  a  Science 
is  best  learned  by  observation  and  reflection,  by  the, 
[446] 


VARIOUS  KINDS   OP  INSTRUCTION 

analytical  and  deep  study  of  the  musical  civilizations 
of  the  past ;  one  is  fitted  for  this  at  any  age. 

Teaching  in  classes  seems  to  be  the  best  for  all  the 
elementary  and  infantile  studies,  and  then  for  every- 
thing connected  with  theory,  even  the  highest. 

Individual  Teaching  is  preferable  for  the  student 
of  Singing  and  Instruments. 

Teaching  in  the  large  Conservatories  has  the  ad- 
vantages of  both. 

With  regard  to  the  normal  duration  of  the  studies, 
it  is  as  variable  as  aptitude  and  temperament,  but 
the  studies  must  be  long  if  we  want  them  to  be  good. 
This  Art  being  infinite,  it  is  the  same  as  with  every 
other  form  of  artistic  study,  and  the  excellent  Schu- 
mann, whom  I  quote  here  for  the  last  time  with  regret, 
expresses  a  high  philosophical  truth  when  he  says: 
"  One  never  stops  learning." 


(&) 


FINIS 


[447] 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


V 


A     000155328     8 


